


White Teeth Teens Are Out

by ChariKard



Series: Rise of the Mexica [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Before you ask, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mostly stand alone, but previous installments aren’t required to understand it, don’t @ me, established relationships - Freeform, i mean it is part of a series, it’s how I cope, it’s just fluff, she’s also one of my coping mechanisms, yes it’s lorde
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-11-27 03:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20941436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChariKard/pseuds/ChariKard
Summary: Every hero needs a break sometime. Especially these heroes. You can only fight off the apocalypse a handful of times before you forget to take care of yourself. And enjoying the company of your significant other is part of self care.(Alternate title: I finally read the Burning Maze and I’m coping)





	1. Ribs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sucker for cafe dates.

* * *

“Do you think we’re idiots?” Nico questioned the boy seated right across from him.

Percy looked up from his caffeinated beverage. “Excuse me?” he retaliated.

“You heard me.” Nico exhaled, “Do you think we’re idiots?”

The son of Poseidon turned his attention to somewhere else in the cafe as if looking for an answer to what he was just asked. He scratched his arm, “I don't...I'm not sure I understand.”

Nico clicked his tongue. “Ugh, I mean do you think what we did was dumb?”

“What exactly did we do?” He wasn't sure why, but his companion seemed to be refusing to clearly state his question. Whether out of nervousness or force of habit, Percy wasn't sure, but because of this, his only possible response was another question.

“Really? You don't remember us breaking up with our first, and only, significant others on the same day?”

At revealing this, Percy slowly nodded his head. “Oh...that...yeah I remember. But what does that have to do with us being idiots?”

“Like...” the son of Hades put his hands on the table he sat at and opened his palms, “was it really the right call? Was calling it quits the best choice for us to make all things considered?”

Percy, finally following Nico’s queries leaned back in his chair slightly. He looked to the ceiling briefly and then back to the boy. “Well for me and Annabeth it was...kinda expected? It’s just that whatever we had going wasn't there anymore. I wouldn't say we didn't love each other anymore, I'd go as far as to say we never stopped, but...” he shrugged, “I don't know. I guess things just changed. We got older and realized that maybe we aren't equipped to live the rest of our lives together. And I figure you and Will were kinda the same, right?” he turned the question back on Nico.

Said teen gripped the cup of iced coffee he had ordered, staring at the condensation as opposed to Percy. “...Not quite. There was...a lot more to it than just ‘growing up’.”

“Are you...” The tanned boy noticed the expression on Nico’s face. It was one he had gotten accustomed to seeing occasionally now that the two of them were often in each other’s company. It told Percy that he, the son of Hades, was not thinking of any desirable thoughts. It was enough for the son of Poseidon to know that something had occurred that he was unaware of. “What happened exactly? How come you didn't say anything to me?”

“It was something I felt didn't need to go public,” Percy silently nodded, knowing full well Nico’s need for personal privacy, “so there are only four people who know the full story, me and Will included.”

Percy raised an eyebrow, “And those other two?”

“Jason and Sadie,” Nico quickly answered. “The night before we left for Mexico, Sadie gave me some advice and the next morning Jason came with me to confront Will...I told him to not get involved but he snapped a little.”

“Jeez...” Hearing that Jason, the notoriously calm and collected son of Jupiter, had been made angry enough to snap at Will Solace, a guy well known for being kind to everyone, was more surprising to Percy than anything he'd ever experienced. And he'd fought multiple monsters, most of them on the large and ugly side. “What did Will do that could have set Jason off?”

“He...” Nico was about to say something but he stopped abruptly. He squinted at nothing in particular and, after consideration of his words, began, “Let me start from the beginning. As you know, after we defeated Gaea and Octavian, Will showed an interest in me.”

Percy smirked. “Yeah, I remember. ‘You're just not my type,’ eh Nico?” he teased.

“Whatever,” Nico smiled warmly, even if Percy’s comment was meant as a joke, it still made him happy, at least for a brief moment. As the feeling subsided, he continued, “Anyway, we started dating and for a while, everything was pretty good. It was weird having someone actively enjoy my romantic company and being happy or excited some of the time was a great change of pace to being depressed...”

The son of Hades looked down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers. “That’s where the first problem arose. As anyone who's hung out with me after Bianca passed would tell you, I'm not exactly an optimist. I tend to get lost in my own thoughts and almost all the time they lead down a dark road that I find difficult to get out of. Whenever this happens I need some comfort or to just talk with someone about how I feel. For the first couple of years, before I was with Will, I usually went with Annabeth, rarely you, or I wouldn't get any help. But once Will came into my life,” Nico put his elbows on the table and made air quotes with his fingers, “‘The ray of sunshine’, I felt like he'd be able to finally give me the comfort I needed with both words and attachment...I was wrong, to say the least. Whenever he'd see me in the dumps or I'd go to him for help he'd just...”  
Nico put his hands back down and clenched one of his fists, visibly whitening it. He took a deep breath and released the pressure on his hand, returning to explaining the situation to Percy. “He did everything short of ignoring me. He'd basically pretend that my emotions weren't real and all I had to do was get out and do stuff he liked or put on a smile or ‘fake it till I make it’. And I did. For the first half of our relationship, I did what he wanted me to, pretending I was okay so he wouldn't be sad to see me for how I was on the inside. It’s for that reason I never talked to him about my inner demons even if I felt like I needed to.”

Nico took a small sip of the coffee, allowing Percy some time, albeit very little, to contemplate what was being given to him. Seeing Nico as he was at that moment, Percy knew there was anger behind every word. Even if Nico had at one point loved Will Solace, that emotion had disappeared. Nico wasn't speaking about this out of regret or nostalgic reminiscence like Percy had done with Annabeth only a few minutes earlier. He was doing this for catharsis.

Before the young adult could think deeper about it, Nico opened his mouth and returned to describing his experience. “Inevitably though, I had to say something. I couldn't keep it in forever. I broke down in front of him and he just froze, like he had no idea what to do with someone who was crying. He left me alone until I stopped and when he returned he began treating me differently. At first, I thought he had finally learned that I needed more help than just ‘ignore it’. But after the first couple days I realized he wasn't treating me like a partner that needed emotional support, he was treating me almost like a child. He started helping me with every little thing from picking out my clothes to just walking through camp. It was...so frustrating!”

Nico slammed his fist on the table, shaking the two drinks that were placed on it. The sparse amount of customers turned out of surprise and the barista behind the counter glared at the two boys. Percy raised his hand slightly and let out a low apology. Nico however, didn't notice the stares and continued as if he hadn't caused a minor disturbance. “I had barely any control in my own life plus he still had me keep up my happiness charade. A few weeks of that and I couldn't take it anymore. I lashed out and we both agreed to take a break. But...I still saw something in him that kept me hanging on for at least a little bit until...about two weeks after, two days before your little breakdown, I found out he was already seeing someone else. I confronted him and...”

Nico stared intently at his drink, giving it a look of complete disgust as if the coffee was the embodiment of whatever terrible event he was about to describe. “He told me they hadn't only started dating...he admitted to being with them for a whole month. I was livid. I cussed him out and then went to sulk. But surprisingly I didn't cry. I think it was at that point that reality set in and I knew the only emotion he could make me feel anymore was anger. Sadness wasn't possible with him. I didn't talk to him for a whole day and I didn't plan on it for as long as possible but then...your rendezvous with Eros kinda ruined that. Our break wasn't public knowledge though, so when Annabeth brought Leo, Piper, and Will, I had to put on a front for at least a little bit. Plus I was emotionally vulnerable and any sense of comfort was what I needed. And for the first time, he actually listened to my problems.”

Nico crossed his arms and leaned against the backrest of the chair. He didn't have quite as angry a look, but the contempt was still plain for all to see. “But at the end of the day, we both knew we were only going to have a few hours before I remembered all he did and all he didn't. After the quest meeting, we talked for a few hours like old times but I still couldn't bring myself to go into detail about how he made me feel. He took me to my cabin right before curfew and there he gave me what was supposed to be his last goodbye.

Even if that's what he planned, a talk with Sadie convinced me to vent my frustrations with him. So I did the next morning. I lashed out once more and told him straight up how terrible he'd been. Jason was there just kinda listening but before Will could say anything of note, he barged in and yelled at Will for the same things I had. After that, we left and Jason helped me realize all my feelings were rational.”

His downturned scowl slowly morphed into a light smile as the son of Hades finally gave Percy the first bit of eye contact since he started his tirade. “And while on the Argo, on our way to Mexico, I realized that my feelings for you were just as understandable.”

Percy, who had his arms on the table and was leaning forward, let his eyes widen ever so slightly. “Wow...that was...a lot.” All this time, he had just assumed that Nico and Will had grown apart like most teen romances, but he couldn't be farther from the truth. Nico, even if he knew something was wrong throughout the relationship, was with someone who just wasn't good for him. Will, for all he tried to do, was still unable to realize the harm he was truly doing. In the end just like Percy and Annabeth, they weren't meant to stay together, but neither couple had the same reasoning for that inevitability.

Nico sat up in his chair and lifted his drink, taking a quick sip before responding to Percy’s comment. “Yeah, I know. I didn't mean to go on for that long it just...felt good to get it off my chest. And...knowing that I can be completely open and honest with you? That feels good too.”

“So...do you think you'll be able to forgive Will? Or at least continue being his friend?” Percy wondered, waving his cup around before bringing up to his lips.

The son of Hades scoffed, “It’s been, what? A couple of months since all this went down and he still hasn't apologized? I think that at this point I’d be completely justified never speaking with that specific son of Apollo ever again.”

Percy agreed with a nod of his head. “Oh yeah, definitely.” He knew Will for longer than Nico had yet they were never close. But now? Knowing what emotional turmoil the son of Apollo had caused for Nico? Percy was more than willing to put that possible friendship in a garbage can.

“You still didn't answer my question, by the way,” Nico added, taking another sip of his cold drink.

“Really? I thought we...” Thinking briefly on the question he was asked a few minutes ago, Percy realized the shadow traveler was correct. “Oh, that's right. I didn't give a yes or no.” He put his coffee down onto the table and came up with a witty response almost immediately. “Well to be completely honest? Yes. We are idiots. But I'd say were idiots for completely different reasons.”

“If by that you mean who we choose to date then I’ll drink to that, Seaweed Brain,” Nico lifted the iced coffee in his hands in a mock toast, smiling as he saw Percy roll his eyes and smile back.

“Hey now!” The two shared a small giggle. Their noises quickly died down and the two took to enjoying their beverages and the ambient sounds of the cafe. Eventually, however, Percy’s inability to stay focused led him to ask Nico a question, one he had been racking his brain about since it was brought up. With an unnoticeable stumble to start, he began“...I know I probably shouldn't but...if you don't mind me asking...who did Solace cheat on you with?”

Nico, who was in the middle of swallowing a bit of his drink, quickly put the plastic container back on the table. As soon as the liquid was in his stomach, without a hint of hesitation, he answered, “One of the Stoll’s. He never specified which one, so I just assumed he meant Travis.”

“Travis?” Percy furrowed his brow, completely confused by the answer. “I didn’t think he was...”

Nico sighed, “Jackson, you work at a camp filled with a bunch of Greek demigods. If you for one second assume even one of them is 100 percent straight, you’re kidding yourself.”

“That’s...” Percy wanted to argue the point, but the premise wasn't one he could easily disprove. “I guess you’re right? To be fair, I did think I was 100 percent straight until a few months ago.”

The son of Hades shrugged. “Maybe you should do as I do. Assume everyone is gay until they say otherwise.”

“Why? Isn’t it more likely that any one person is straight?”

Nico put his drink back onto the table after sipping from it. “Considering they’ve assumed we haven’t existed for all of human history up to a few decades ago, I’d say it’s hardly the worst thing I could do to them.”

“Fair enough.” Percy no longer thought he needed to argue. Nico was clearly joking and he wasn't at all affected by the comment. He knew better than to be offended by a joke as harmless as that.

“Speaking of people who aren’t straight...” Nico segued, “have you been keeping up with Carter?”

Percy giggled at the absurdity of his boyfriend’s quip. “First off, yes I have. And second, what makes you say that about him?”

“Really? You weren’t aware he was crushing on you?”

As the words hit his eardrums, his eyes widened. Did he hear correctly? Did Nico just imply one of his other friends had a crush on him? The idea swirled through Percy’s head, causing difficulty in forming a response. “W-what? We’re talking about the same Carter, right? Carter Kane?”

“Oh, who am I kidding,” Nico waved his hand in dismissal. “You're terrible at noticing these things. You thought my crush on you was just me being angry for 4 years, even after I forgave you.”

“Come on, you’ve gotta be messing with me, right?” Percy asked still in disbelief. “How would you even know? You barely talked to him during our quest or even after.”

“I have an inside source in Brooklyn house.”

“So Sadie told you.”

The son of Hades smirked in approval, “At least that didn’t go over your head.”

“I guess that explains some things he's done. But...” Knowing that Nico knew this not based on his own observations but by the observations of someone close to Carter made him less skeptical. But this fact wasn't enough to make him accept the revelation entirely. He needed more. “Did she say anything else about it? Does she have any proof?”

“She just said her brother was obviously into you but in denial.”

Knowing this put Percy back on the skeptical side of the spectrum of emotions. Now he had reason to be suspicious, and unless he heard it directly from the horse’s mouth, he would continue to question. “So he’s never explicitly said he's got a crush on me?”

“That's typically what someone who's in denial does, yeah.”

“Then...maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Maybe Sadie just made it up to tease her brother or-”

“Woah, dude. Calm down. What’s got you so worked up about this?”

Percy hadn't noticed anything change about his demeanor, but upon pausing he noticed that he had, in fact, seemed anxious. His heart was beating faster, his eyebrows were raised, and his breathing was irregular. He took a second to keep himself calm, knowing that this conversation wasn't meant to be nerve-wracking. “I...I didn't expect him to feel this way. I like him, obviously, but just as a friend. Do you think I gave him mixed signals? And that's why he...” While he trusted Nico, the boy was a tertiary source. If he wanted a better and, most likely, straight answer he would need to ask Carter himself. “I've got to confront him about this.”

Nico scoffed as if expecting that exact response from Percy. “Slow your roll there, Percy. If I would have known some gossip involving a friend was going to cause you to stress out like this then I wouldn't have said anything. I get that you want to find out the truth, but as you said, Sadie could have been lying to me. The best thing for you to do is just relax and pretend I said nothing. And if there's some truth in what Sadie said, then let Carter come to you. It’s his place to decide how and when to talk about something like that.”

“I...” Nico was right. Confronting Carter would cause more problems than it would fix. In fact, it would only solve Percy’s curiosity, something that took a lower priority over Carter’s right to keep his romantic interests a secret. Even if he found waiting excruciating, he was willing to do it to save a friend any unneeded embarrassment. “You're right. It’s still gonna be an ordeal having to wait.”

“Man, what is with you and drama?”

“I don't know. Maybe my personality is just a magnet for that kind of thing.”

Nico laughed, “Yeah. And it’s the same reason you're bad at handling any kind.”

“I’ll have you know, most people consider me to be moderately handy with resolving drama.”

“One person is not ‘most people’.”


	2. Tennis Court

“How you doing, Valdez?”

The teen in question looked up from his work, a strange contraption he had found in one of the dark corners of Bunker 9. He didn’t know what it was exactly but part of him felt the need to dissect the machine if only to discover its purpose. Of course, that wasn’t what needed his direct attention, as the one who just called to him was one of his best friends and he wouldn’t dare ignore her. “I'm alright. A little sore from yesterday. Jason can get a bit out of hand every once and awhile. Did you know he’ll lose control sometimes and shoot lightning from his-”

The daughter of Aphrodite raised her hands in front of her, signaling her friend to cease speaking. “I'm going to stop you right there. While I do care about your happiness, what happens in Zeus cabin stays between you and Jason...and I guess the big man himself.”

“You don't think...” Leo looked off in feigned anxiety.

“Does it matter?”

He shrugged his shoulders, knowing full well he wasn’t being serious in his question. “I guess not.”

“Actually, if you don't mind, I did want to ask you about your relationship with Jason. The less provocative parts of it mind you.”

“Really?” Leo sighed. “But those are the most fun.”

Piper rolled her eyes, “Ugh, for you. Me? I like the build-up, the dates, the romantic gestures. All of which you have refused to tell me about. Me, your best friend.”

“Oh, alright.” The son of Hephaestus turned his chair from his work table. “I guess I might as well.”

“Yes!” Piper pumped her fist in the air ever so slightly. “Hold up, let me get a seat.”

As his friend grabbed the nearest stool and sat in it, Leo began explaining. “I guess it started a bit after I came back with Calypso. We got to Camp Half-blood, greeted everybody, tried to explain how we got off of Ogygia. You remember?”

“Of course I do. We all thought you were dead. For weeks we mourned you and then out of nowhere, you show up with the daughter of a Titan. It would be hard to forget that.”  
Leo nodded, “Right. Well, anyway, that night during dinner, Jason asked if we could hang out for a bit later. He told me about a meteor shower he'd been keeping track of and he thought I’d like to watch it with him. Being the best friend that I am I accepted. He told me to meet him on top of Zeus Cabin after the campfire. I got there early because I’m just that good a friend and he showed up late, not that I cared too much. It was probably a good few minutes of stargazing when he grabbed my hand. He tried telling me his hand was just cold but I knew what he was actually trying to say.”

“Aww! That’s adorable!” Piper interrupted. “I mean, we both know Jason’s the worst at explaining his true feelings but still. At least he tried.”

“Exactly my thoughts.”

She cleared her throat, realizing her rudeness. “Sorry about that, please continue.”

“Right. So everything was pretty cool for the months following. He didn’t make any more moves on me but I did notice him staring occasionally. Considering he was usually on the other side of the country I can see why he did both. Maybe about...six months after I came back, Jason showed up but his demeanor had changed. He was clearly nervous about something but I didn’t ask him why. Later that night, Calypso decided she wanted to talk to me and, because I’m always there to hear out my friends, I listened to her. Most of our conversation was about me and...how much she liked me and how she couldn’t stay at camp anymore knowing I didn’t feel the same way. I told her how much I appreciated her opening up and how I’ll miss having her around.”

“Oh...” Piper said in a hushed tone. “So that’s why she left.”

Piper’s demeanor fluctuated with the topics Leo was speaking of. He noticed her become saddened at the mention of Calypso’s departure. He understood why, but he wasn't as broken up about it anymore. Of course, he was great friends with her and was sad to see her go but he knew Calypso had as much a right to leave as anyone at Camp Half-blood. “Yeah...but she’s out doing her own thing now, like all her fellow nymphs. As she walked off to God knows where I kinda sulked back to my cabin. But on the way, I was stopped by a frantic Jason who said we had to talk. He brought me to his cabin, told me that he had feelings for me, and then kissed me. I didn’t have many words and one thing led to another and we...um...you know.”

Piper sighed and raised a palm, “I think I do.”

“Here's the thing,” Leo continued, “While I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and did have my own feelings for Jason, something about getting two confessions in the same night kinda stunted my reaction. Add onto the fact that Calypso left immediately after she gave hers, meant I was dealing with more than just Jason. So a week later, when you asked me why I didn't have any feelings for Jason...that was a bit of a lie.”

The daughter of Aphrodite smiled knowingly, “Oh yeah, I knew that.”

“What, really? How?”

“You technically didn't say you didn't have feelings for him. You just avoided the question. Typical behavior of someone who wants to keep their true emotions a secret.”

Leo connected the dots as easily as Piper had. It was his own mind after all. But there was still an aspect of his behavior that was unknown to her. “Well, as long as I'm being completely honest here...part of the reason I didn't tell you was because...I didn't want to have feelings for Jason. The only thing stopping me from being with him right then was myself. The way I grew up, going from foster home to foster home, you tend to grow this mentality that it’s everyone for themselves. When your in a home filled with boys that could, and would, kick your ass...you don't really want to give them a reason to. So the part of me that knew I wasn't straight was set aside and almost forgotten until Jason came along. From then it was just a matter of me coming to terms with who I was and now, I'd say I’m much better off.”

Piper twirled a few strands of her hair, trying her best to form a question, “So...are you gay or...?”

The son of Hephaestus shrugged, “Eh, use whatever label you want. If I had to choose one to describe myself...I guess pansexual would work. But again, I'm not bothered with labels at all.”

With a brief exhale, Piper changed the subject, clearly in an attempt to bring up something more pressing that she had on her mind. “Not that I'm not fascinated by your journey of self-discovery but...”

Leo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Oh, are my experiences with internalized homophobia not interesting enough for you?” he teased.

“No, it’s just...that's all in the past, right? You've been through all that already and I don't want you dwelling on it all that much. Plus, I'm more interested in your present. Like, what have you done for Jason since you two have been with each other? Or what has he done for you?”

Leo smirked, “I thought you didn't want to hear about the more ‘provocative’ parts of our relationship.”

Piper made a disgusted noise, “Shut up! I meant the dates, the romantic gestures, you know. The things I brought up when I first got here?”

“Oh well...” As he thought on her suggestions, he quickly realized, “There hasn't really been any.”

“What?!” the daughter of Aphrodite exclaimed. She furrowed her brow, “But you've been together for months! You're telling me in that entire time, you two haven't been out on one date?”

“In my defense, Jason is usually at Camp Jupiter doing whatever he has to over there. We meet up like once a week and that's usually so he can...blow off steam.”

“You two are shameless.”

“Hold on now. I am shameless. If Jason knew I was talking about our ‘meetups’ so openly, he'd turn as red as a tomato.”

“True.” Piper shook her head, an attempt to bring herself back on topic, “But that’s beside the point. Don't you think you two should just hang out and be romantic like most couples do?”

“I...I never really thought about it.”

“Well, do it now.”

Now that he was given the command and the time to think about it, he definitely saw where his best friend was coming from. Love is a complex topic and what little Leo knew about it had to do with the fact that there is more to it than the physical. Being able to form a connection with someone, not unlike a friendship yet deeper. Of course, human sexuality and the need for physical relationships is a part of it as well. The problem comes when one neglects one side. A balance needs to be formed to keep the romance from waning. While Jason and Leo focused heavy on one, their lack of emotional building was enough to cause concern in the son of Hephaestus. He doubted either one would decide to part ways, but he liked the idea of being safe.

“I can see how going out together would be at least a little beneficial. Alright. Next time Jason comes here, I’ll be sure to take him somewhere special.”

“What first comes to mind?”

“Oh, well...” Leo was never good at coming up with ideas concerning romance. His experiences were out of the ordinary, so expecting himself to be perfect with his first attempts at even thinking about it he did not. Luckily, he had a confidant, one who happened to be a child of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. “Here's the thing...you wouldn't mind...?”

With almost no hesitation, Piper responded, “Ugh, fine. I’ll help plan your guys’ date. I better be paid for it though.”  
“I’ll pay you in friendship?”

She paused, squinting at her friend, if nothing else, only to mess with him. “...Alright, deal. Let’s plan ourselves the most romantic date ever to exist.”  
“Maybe be a little more realistic there, Pipes.”


	3. Biting Down

“It seems like using your magic doesn’t fatigue you...do you feel tired at all while your nagual is out?” Carter asked, watching intently as his friend Tochtli admired the ethereal serpent coiled on the floor of the mansion’s training court.

“Not more than usual,” Tochtli answered, patting the snake’s head. The nagual hissed as if to show appreciation of the contact.  
Carter jotted down some notes in the notebook he had placed on his lap. “Interesting...where do you get your powers from then?”

The Mexican turned to his friend with a confused look, “My dad?”

“No, like...your abilities have to have an energy source or something. That’s how mine and Sadie’s work. I’ve been trying to figure yours out but...” Carter touched the top of his pen to his lips, glancing over his handwriting.

“I always thought it had something to do with our nagual. When we fought Xiuhtecuhtli, remember? He killed our _naguales_ which took all my power away. And it hurt a lot.”

“And then you got your strength back when Quetzalcoatl got back up...” A smile formed on the magician as his thoughts began connecting, “You know what Tochtli?”

“What?”

“When you said your dad gives you your powers you might have been completely right.”

“What do you mean?”

Carter, once again, wrote in his journal, doing his best to explain to Tochtli exactly what he was putting down, “I theorize that as long as your godly parent is strong and isn’t weakening, your power is technically unlimited! If this is true then it explains why you don’t feel tired while only using magic.”

Tochtli nodded along. “That sounds about right...” he trailed off as if forming his own theory based on what Carter had told him. A few seconds and he spoke up on his thoughts, “Except for one part.”

“Oh no,” Carter looked up from his book, “are you about to destroy my whole theory?”

“No, not at all,” Tochtli waved the assumption away, “It’s just that a nagual is based off the day you were born and not by your parents. It just so happens that me and Metztli have a birthday for snake naguales.”

Carter lifted his chin in understanding, “Ah, so not that big a change.” He crossed a few words out in his notes and corrected them, “Then your power is based on whoever rules over your spirit animal. It makes just as much sense. Let’s just hope your dad doesn't end up weakening anytime soon then.”

Tochtli picked up on the intended humor and smiled, “Every age is at least hundreds of years. I think I’ll be fine.” The two were brought back into silence, Carter because he was focused on his note-taking, and Tochtli because he didn't want to interrupt. He sat on the waxed floor of the court, leaning back against his ghostly spirit animal, who coiled around him slightly. He watched as his friend’s brow furrowed in a way that had to be painful and spoke up, perhaps as a way to get Carter to relax. “How is your Spanish coming along?”

The magician exhaled, welcoming the change of topic. He closed his notebook and responded to Tochtli’s query. “Alright, I guess. I'm struggling with my accent but overall I'd say there’s definitely progress.”

“Do you think you can hold a conversation?”

Carter’s face contorted in embarrassment. With a bit of effort, he answered, “_...No...se..._” Spanish was just like every other language Carter encountered other than English, he was bad at it. That wasn’t to say he wouldn't try to learn it with the best of his ability. “It takes effort to form the sentences in my head. I have to like...translate it from English to Spanish in real-time.”

“So do I, only in reverse,” Tochtli crossed his arms, unimpressed with the excuse.

“But you've been speaking English since you were a kid. Me? I only started relatively recently.” Carter tried his best to come up with a good enough quip that would ease the tension and landed on one that wasn't his worst, “It also helped that your caretaker was a goddess.”

Tochtli relaxed his demeanor, “You should still try. It will become easier eventually.”

“Yeah, I know...” Carter more than understood the work that comes with learning a new language, and he was more than up to the challenge. The magician liked the idea of being fluent in another language, and if doing so would allow him to converse with one of the largest minority groups in America, then that seemed like reason enough. Plus his teacher was very understanding and allowed Carter to learn at his own pace. Tochtli was, by all means, the ideal instructor for the busy Pharaoh of the House of Life and provided some much-needed variety and serenity in his day-to-day.

The Mexican demigod generated levity like it was his job. His attitude over the months had changed, only slightly, however, to that of someone more carefree and upbeat, as if living somewhere new with unfamiliar people cleaned him of any worries he had. Carter liked seeing his friend enjoy himself, whether that be with the trainees at Brooklyn House, helping out Jaz or Zia, or exploring the city with his sister and the Kanes. Even just knowing the fact that he was content would put a smile on his face.

Yet part of him knew there was something off. He could feel it when there was a lull in their conversations, he could see it when Tochtli was staring off into space, heard it when he interrupted his thoughts. Carter wanted to uncover what was wrong, he was empathetic after all. If he could help mend the inner struggles his friend was feeling, he most certainly would.

The only problem with accomplishing this task was the fact that there was no proof that the demigod had any hidden turmoil. At least, nothing recent. However, there was one moment that had been pecking at Carter’s psyche, one unfinished comment from months prior. Tochtli had, at one point, been willing to open up to the Kane in Mexico but soon revoked his willingness after landing in Brooklyn.

What his friend refused to divulge bothered Carter, especially considering how close they were now. In his mind, there was no reason not to. Except for the fact that neither one established the groundwork needed for a relationship as such. Carter hadn’t given any indication that he wanted to be emotionally open and speak about his mental state and the same for the Mexican. Carter recognized this fact and came to the conclusion that in order to make it easier for his friend to open up, he had to be the one to open up first. Carter didn't have much in the vein of emotional difficulties he could discuss. But there was something he definitely needed help solving.

“Tochtli, can I...can I talk about something?”

With expected speed, the boy answered, “Of course. As long as we do it in Spanish.”

Carter smiled at the joke but couldn’t bring himself more than that. Not because he didn’t enjoy the comment, but because he knew his question and found it difficult to focus on anything other than it, including laughter. He took a deep breath and sputtered, “...Have you ever had feelings for someone? Like...romantic ones?”

Tochtli was clearly surprised by the question as evidenced by his response, “Oh...” The demigod looked away from Carter, paying closer attention to the transparent snake tail lying at his feet. “Y-yes...I have,” he muttered almost too quiet to hear.

Carter exhaled in relief. The mere fact that his companion was willing to converse on the topic acted almost like a relaxant. “Maybe you can help a little, then.”

Tochtli, still refusing direct eye contact, asked his own follow-up question, “Is this about you...?” As if understanding his own vagueness, he clarified, “You having feelings for someone?”

“A bit,” Carter answered, placing his book to the side and leaning on his elbows balanced on his thighs. “I don't...” he sighed, quickly rewording his response. “Okay, let me go back a bit. The day...well, the night before we went to Mexico, Sadie and I had a conversation about...” Carter paused. While he was ready to open up about his emotions, he wasn’t ready to come out yet. Sure, he had accepted the fact of his sexuality weeks ago, but he was still hesitant for anyone to know apart from Sadie. Now was no different, so the Kane worked quickly to avoid any names or pronouns that would cause unnecessary anxiety. “...someone I know. She insisted that I had feelings for them and kinda...took my phone and sent them a couple of text messages.”

Tochtli nodded along, seeming to be unaware of Carter’s intentional gender-neutral descriptions. “I think I get it. She was wrong and caused a misunderstanding between you and this girl.”

“Y-yes, well...no Sadie wasn't technically wrong. I did have feelings, for...this girl.” Carter wasn’t at all surprised to hear Tochtli assume they were speaking about a girl. For the average person that was a justifiable assumption, and for this, he kept up the ruse, using the same words as his friend. “I didn't want to tell...her because we’re friends and I didn't want things to be ruined.”

“I...” Tochtli sighed, pulling his legs up to allow his chin to rest on his knees. He was contemplating something, that much was obvious, but not about anything ordinary. Carter had picked up on a few of his tells, the most common one involved him refusing to make direct eye contact or conversation. It meant he was debating whether or not to say something personal or embarrassing. It’s why Carter easily predicted what he was about to say. “I know how you feel.”

“You do?”

“I had feelings for a friend too, but I kept them a secret because I liked what we already had.”

Carter felt a jolt of interest go through his body. Maybe it was because he finally got his friend to open up about something more personal. Maybe it was the fact that the addition Tochtli made was similar to his own experience. Maybe it was something more.

It gave Carter a sense that he was close to revealing a secret he wanted an answer to. He also felt a small tingle of hope that he’d finally be getting a conclusion to his month-long bother. Because of this, his eagerness got to him and he hadn’t even noticed his use of assumed gender markers, just as Tochtli had done earlier, “So you never told her?”

“No...” Tochtli hesitated. He fiddled with his fingers, his face flushed and eyes wandering. The nagual’s figure began flickering, fading in and out of existence for only seconds at a time. “I did tell...” the boy looked visibly distraught, it almost made Carter stop the conversation entirely. Seeing the affect his line of questioning had on one of his best friends caused a knot in his stomach. He was about to reach out and comfort Tochtli, when the boy, paying no attention to the magician’s actions, continued as if on autopilot.  
“I...I didn't like keeping it from him and...part of me felt like he would understand or feel the same way. But he...” The demigod finished abruptly, eyes widening and locking on to Carter’s who was only just reaching realization.

“...H-he?” the magician muttered, his expression changing rapidly from one of concern to surprise.

Tochtli’s face flushed bright red, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was trying to form words but couldn’t. “...Uh...y-yes,” the demigod stuttered, “...he...”  
There was an uncomfortable silence, one that was stretched to its limit before Carter finally responded. “Oh...that’s...” was all he was able to say. He tried to think up some more but the shock was too much. Hearing his friend’s impromptu reveal was very disorienting. It left very little room for any thoughts at all.

“I...I’m sorry, Carter,” Tochtli apologized, looking away from the magician. The nagual had completely disappeared, leaving the two boys to themselves. The demigod’s voice warbled, his breath hitching in his throat. “I...I didn't mean...”

“Tochtli...?” Carter could see his friend’s eyes turn misty. He didn’t understand why they were, why Tochtli was on the brink of crying, but that was unimportant. He had an understandable need to comfort the teen. He stood up and immediately crouched, reaching his hand forward. Only for it to be ignored.

“I’m...I’m sorry,” Tochtli sobbed, taking to his feet as the first tears fell from his eyes. He sped out of the training court, paying no attention to Carter’s final plea.

“W-wait!” the Kane shouted, knowing full well Tochtli was long gone. He heaved a sigh, falling onto his rear and leaning against the bench he was previously seated on. His mind was stuck on what had just transpired, he couldn’t even turn to his own thoughts for a change of topic.

As his brain wondered about the many outcomes of the conversation previous, he began piecing together some hints he was now embarrassed to say he had overlooked.  
The biggest one was given to him back in Guadalajara. Tochtli had mentioned something about Americans being more open to a specific idea. What idea the Mexican was talking about was unclear at the time but now, in hindsight, it should have been obvious. The same could be said about the reaction after the quest. Carter asked Tochtli to elaborate on the comment and was only offered an explanation in an unspecified time, ‘later on’.

Now, with a new understanding of his friend, it was clear what was meant to be said. Now, he felt conflicted as one part pulled in the direction of sympathy but another pulled in confusion. Why did Tochtli react as dramatically without even hearing a meaningful response from Carter? Why had he broken down completely when he only confessed to one person?

Knowing the mannerisms of the demigod, and thinking back on what was said before he ran off, it could only mean he had been through something similar. That it had gone badly and he didn’t wish to go through it an additional time.

“Carter Kane,” a familiar voice echoed across the court’s walls, pulling said teenager from his mental stupor. “Would you care to explain to me why there was a distraught child of Quetzalcoatl running through the mansion?”

Carter lifted his head to see his sister, hands on her hips, an expression of judgment in her face. The male Kane did his best to quickly explain but was having difficulty finding his words, “I...he...”

He was unable to finish his thought before Sadie spoke over his mumbling, “Are you not one for words or something? What did you do to Tochtli to make him so upset?”  
“Nothing!” Carter yelled, almost too defensive. Sadie scoffed, causing the boy to realize his overreaction. He turned away from his sister and sighed, “I...I didn’t do anything. He just...” Carter was in no position to explain to Sadie why the demigod had run off. Doing that would be a great mishandling of the situation and only make Tochtli’s state worse. It wasn’t Carter’s business to be spouting at every person who asked, especially when that person had a habit of spreading gossip. Carter gathered his thoughts and told Sadie a half-truth, “He...misspoke and must have been embarrassed.”

Sadie was unimpressed by the explanation. She raised her eyebrows, “He never struck me as the kind of person to cry when they’re only embarrassed.”

“The thing is...” His sister was not making it easy for Carter to side-step the issue. He couldn’t tell Sadie what had happened...but he could be honest about the predicament he was in. “it’s...not really my place to say...”

Sadie’s interrogative demeanor switched in an instant. Her shoulders relaxed and her face softened as if coming to an understanding inside herself. “So you two were sharing secrets and you decided to offend him?” She didn’t give Carter time to answer, only patting him on the shoulder as she assumed an answer from him, “Well you better get over and apologize before Metztli comes and gives you a probably deserved beating.”

Carter looked his sister in the eyes and nodded, a silent acknowledgment of what he needed to do. He needed to rectify his terrible reaction to Tochtli’s mishap, or however it should be categorized.

He picked himself off the ground and stomped out of the training court. As the doors shut behind him, Carter stopped when a thought came to him. He wasn’t given any indication as to where the demigod magician was. An obvious assumption would be somewhere he could be in peace. The mansion was a big place, but there weren’t many rooms one could go to for privacy. But there was one area that was always calm and off-limits to most of those who would cause a ruckus. The bedroom floor.

Carter would have ran to Tochtli’s room at coming up with the idea but part of him was still hesitant to do anything. He was never all that good with comforting those he had caused hurt because he never had to. He was always comforting hurt that wasn’t caused by himself. Now, it was different. It seemed almost imposing for him to try and make amends, at least in some part of his brain. Would apologizing even get him anywhere? Had he destroyed a bridge he so desperately wished he hadn't? It was these unanswered questions that led him to only speed walk through the mansion and up the stairs.

He made it to the landing for the twins and the Kane’s rooms in a reasonable amount of time. There was no sign of anyone. There were no loud cries coming from behind any of the doors, which was a good sign. With a deep breath, he walked over to Tochtli’s door, knocking twice.

“Tochtli?” He called, not expecting an immediate answer. He stood outside, unsure if he should let himself in or knock again. He was about to try the doorknob when the door opened. From the other side came the scowling visage of Metztli, her expression the most insulting she had ever given Carter.

“Carter,” she growled, emotionless.

Carter’s throat went dry. He swallowed, expecting words to come out without needing his mental input. “M-Metztli?” he stumbled, waiting anxiously for the demigod to say anything that would calm him.

“My brother told me what happened,” she said, glaring at Carter as if expecting him to break from just her look alone. “You better tell me what you planned on doing here so I can decide whether to strangle you where you stand.”

“I came to...apologize. And to explain myself.”

“Hmph,” she grumbled. “You better make this right or else we’re going to have some big problems,” she said walking past Carter and purposefully bumping into him.

The magician brushed his shoulder, wincing at the gesture and comment made by the angry sibling. He couldn’t dwell on it, however, as the more pressing issue was behind the slightly opened door.

With painfully slow movements, Carter walked in, only to be greeted by a somewhat heartbreaking sight. Tochtli was lying on his side, back towards the door. He didn’t hear any crying, which he was almost glad about. That would have made him feel extremely guilty and almost too sad himself to do anything. “Tochtli? I...” he tried starting, only to stop himself for no reason other than being unsure where to start.

“_Vete_,” Tochtli hissed at the teen, not turning towards him.

“Please...just...” Carter pleaded as he shut the door behind him.

“Did you not hear what I said?” Tochtli scoffed the sadness audible in his voice. “Go. Away.”

“I...” Carter’s shoulders fell. He knew it was going to be hard to say anything, and his brain was the reason. There was so much he wanted to say, to apologize for, to clarify, but his own mind couldn’t put it in order as quickly as he wanted. “I get that you’re...broken up about this but...if you’ll only let me explain...”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

“Huh?” the magician was caught off guard, not something that happened so often. Tochtli wanted to explain, that was obvious, but at the expense of Carter’s reasoning. The Pharaoh wasn’t exactly in a favorable position to be doing so, which was partially why he put up no resistance to his own curiosity.

Tochtli turned around, moving to the end of his bed. His eyes were red and puffy, evidence to Carter that he had only recently stopped crying. “You think I want you to come up here and tell me in the nicest way possible that you’re not going to be able to be friends with me anymore? You think I want to hear you try and make it sound like you’re the one who’s right?” his voice began breaking as he finished, causing Carter to feel a pain in his heart.

“What?” He was immeasurably saddened to hear the fact that one of his closest friends thought he was going to end their friendship. “Tochtli that’s not-”

“You don’t have to lie.” The demigod looked to his dangling feet, “I’ve been through this before and I don’t want to go through it again. At least this time I can prevent it.”  
Those words, they put Carter at ease, if only because his earlier assessment was correct. This only made it more apparent, the need to explain his own truth. “I...I get that you’re upset but you have to believe me. I have no reason to lie to you.”

Tochtli glanced at Carter, wiping away some wetness from under his eye. “Then why did you come here?”

“To apologize for...” Carter moved his hands around, trying to articulate his intentions. He sighed in frustration, dropping his hands to his sides. His overactive thoughts were doing him no good, so he took to speaking exactly what came to his lips first, “...for how I reacted back there. I didn’t mean to make you feel like that I was just...really surprised.” Tochtli didn’t react positively to the statement but didn’t give a negative reaction either. Carter took this as a sign that he was safe to step closer to him.

He walked towards the end of the bed, paying attention to Tochtli’s body language. He saw the boy ever so slightly shift over as if to give Carter room to sit, which he did. He also noticed the modius amulet he had given Tochtli months ago caught in his fingertips.

Carter sat at the demigod’s side, watching as he fiddled with the amulet’s string, avoiding eye contact. “So...” Carter began, doing his best to steer the conversation. He knew Tochtli wanted to give his side of the story but hadn’t thanks to Carter’s apology. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious, plus if it helped his friend unload some baggage, that was more than okay. “You’ve been through this before? This wasn’t just about my shock is it?”

“N-no...” Tochtli was hesitant, made obvious by his mumbled speech. But, within a few seconds, he had relaxed a bit and continued, “I had a friend, Ignacio, back in Mexico, my best friend at the time. He...I had feelings for him that I couldn’t hide anymore so I told him. He didn’t take it well. He left me alone and didn’t talk to me again. He went out of his way to ignore me. After awhile he disappeared. I don’t know where he is now but when I think about him...it hurts.”

“How come you didn’t tell me this sooner?” It was a somewhat selfish thought, one that implied Carter was entitled to knowing the truth. Even if it was, internally chiding himself for asking would be disingenuous. Selfishness was a part of human nature, and, in Carter’s experience, as long as you didn't let it cause harm to others, it was okay to indulge in the selfish occasionally.

“The way you reacted...it was exactly how he...” Tochtli sniffled, a remnant from his earlier tears. “I thought you were going to act just like he did and I couldn't go through that again. I didn’t want to lose one of my only friends.” Carter mentally patted himself on the back. The fact that his earlier assessment was correct made him feel proud. He liked being reassured that he knew his friend well, even if it wasn't direct. “You remember during our quest?” Tochtli continued, “Back in Guadalajara? I was going to tell you I was...I liked boys back then.”

“That’s what you meant when you said we were more accepting,” Carter added, posing it as a true statement instead of one needing verification. “You were talking about how we’re more open to others’ sexualities.”

The demigod nodded, “We weren’t really close back then so I thought there was no harm in telling a stranger. I could deal with a stranger not liking me.”

“Even if you would have, I’d still be friends with you. I care about everyone, regardless of something superficial like sexual orientation. I...” Carter paused. He had an obligation to care about people who don’t fall in the heteronormative ideal as a moral human being, and as a person who also didn't conform.

This fact hadn't gone unnoticed by him. In fact, it was on the back of his mind since talking to Tochtli in his room. He wasn't sure if it was out of sympathy, or if he just felt obligated to do so after what had happened, but Carter was now considering opening up about his own sexual orientation. He no longer felt like he needed to hide from his truth, and now that he had someone to relate to that would get comfort in also having the same, he knew what the best course of action was. “I kinda have to...considering...”  
“What?” Tochtli asked with his classic naïveté, as he brought his eyes up to Carter’s.

The magician’s heart rate picked up, but there was no turning back, “The conversation we were having before all this started...you assumed I was talking about a girl.” Tochtli nodded, still not seeing where Carter was getting at. “Well...the thing is...I wasn’t. I was talking about a guy...you’ve met him actually. Percy, one of the demigods from our quest.”

Tochtli’s eyes widened and his demeanor changed. “Does...this mean you’re...we’re the same?” He appeared to be happy at hearing Carter’s confession, something that was only heard in his tonation.

Carter shrugged, “I don’t know. Do you like guys and girls?”  
Tochtli blushed, “N-not really...just boys...”

“Then we’re kinda similar, only one minor difference. I’m attracted to them both.” Carter smiled, feeling a heaviness lift itself from his shoulders. Being open felt freeing, no longer needing to keep it a secret. Even if the number of people who knew the truth was only increased by one, it still was liberating.

“So...” Tochtli said in an almost whisper. “What do we do now?”

“We can always continue our conversation?” the Pharaoh suggested.

“O-okay,” Tochtli fidgeted, clearly unsure how to handle the topic at hand. Carter internally giggled at the endearing awkwardness. “Well, tell me then, why do you like Percy?”

“I...” Carter wasn't going to be avoidant of the conversation, but he was going to have difficulties with quickly wording things, just as he’s always had. “My feelings for him have pretty much gone away. I just wanted your opinion on whether or not I should tell him I liked him at one point.”

“How will he react if you did?”

“It’s happened before,” Carter smirked, having been told the basic story of Nico’s confession from Percy himself. He would have told Tochtli about it but it seemed unnecessary, especially since he hadn't asked for clarification. “He would take it pretty well, I’d imagine. The worst that could happen wouldn't even be something all that terrible.”  
“What would be the point in telling him?”

“Closure?” Carter shrugged. It had been so long since he’d thought about Percy that any reason he could come up with apart from closure would seem lacking. The only reason the son of Poseidon even came to mind that day was because he mentioned going on a date with Nico the day before. Knowing that his friend, and ex-crush, was seeing someone reignited emotions that hadn't been seen since he’d arrived with the Suárez’s. “The whole reason we were even involved in the quest was because Sadie texted him,” That was another fact that hadn't escaped the magician either. It was another secret he wanted to divulge to Percy for the same reasons. It had been so long since then that maybe bringing up the fact that they were never given a prophecy wouldn't be as big a deal.

“I say...” Tochtli said, unaware of his friend’s inner monologue. “Do it then,” he spouted, smiling at Carter as he did so. “I don’t think anything bad will come from it.”

“Alright then,” the magician sighed, the answer one he would have come to eventually himself. Carter liked having his assessments reaffirmed. “I’ll start work on getting that done.”

The two sat in comfortable silence, Carter wondering what his friend was thinking. He was probably wondering the same thing for Carter. The corner of his mouth raised as he stood up from the bed. “Do you wanna head back to the court? Or are you ready for a break just like I am?”

Tochtli stood up along with him. “I’ll take a break. I’ve been through a lot in the last couple of minutes.”

“Fair enough.” Carter walked towards the exit and turned around as he opened the door. “I’ll check in on everyone else and let you get to it.”

“Carter...” Tochtli stared at the modius, twirling it around before quickly putting it back on, causing Carter to feel a rush of happiness, as well as slightly confused. Why had he taken it off in the first place? What had made him put it back on? He couldn't think on these questions for long, as the son of Quetzalcoatl strode over towards Carter and embraced him, surprising the magician. “I...thank you...for being there for me. I’m glad I didn’t lose you.”

The sudden contact made Carter’s speech delay, “N-no problem.” It took him a while to reciprocate the hug, caused by the haziness of his thoughts. For whatever reason, the embrace made his mind go blank. For whatever reason, the embrace made his heart beat faster.

“Can you get me before dinner?” Tochtli asked, separating himself from Carter. “I...I want to make something to show my appreciation.”

The Pharaoh blinked, unable to tell if any of his senses were working anymore. He blinked a few more times before answering, “Y-yeah...of course.” With that answer, Tochtli smiled and for whatever reason, it made Carter’s face heat up. As the Mexican shut the door, Carter turned away from it, leaning his back against the hardwood. He brushed his hand through his hair, unsure what had happened to his brain and body.

He took a deep breath and looked to his right, only to see Metztli standing in the frame of her door. “W-what?” Carter stuttered, noticing her angry expression from earlier had been replaced with a smirk. She didn't answer Carter, instead flipping her hair and walking into her room, leaving the magician to figure out what she had on her mind.


	4. The Love Club

Carter had been silent on the details of the day’s previous fiasco, much to Sadie’s chagrin. The crying, the cagey response from her brother, the anger from Metztli, it all pointed to something big. Some major bit of gossip that she wasn’t in the loop of. To say her lack of understanding frustrated her would be quite apt. The worst part? She couldn’t even ask Carter directly, or anyone for that matter. None of them would elaborate at all. Well, all except for one, she hoped.

Metztli had warmed quickly to Sadie, which was code for their shared sarcasm and interest in gossip. If any of the three involved were going to describe what happened, Metztli was bound to enlighten Sadie.

“No.”

“What? Come on,” Sadie exhaled, falling back onto her bed.

“You think I am the kind of person to tell someone’s secrets?” Metztli questioned, back pressed against Sadie’s pillows, staring intently at her smartphone.

“Is that not what we do anyway?”

Metztli scoffed, “We do that with people we don’t like...I care about my brother. I am not going to tell you anything without his permission.” Metztli was just as stubborn as ever. Sadie knew this, of course, but didn't expect it in this occasion. She sat back up, fixing the loose strands of hair in her face. Metztli was expressionless, the backlight of her phone bathing her in a white glow.

Sadie rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the bed, landing on her feet with ease. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll just ask him myself.”

Metztli smirked and chuckled, “Good luck then.” That response was also unexpected. Something about this was rubbing Sadie the wrong way. Metztli, her best gossip friend and partner in crime, was silent and thought the idea of Sadie asking her brother directly to be funny. Why?

With furrowed brows, the blonde walked out of her room, closing the door behind her. She swept the hallway with her eyes, looking for any signs of the other Suárez twin. No sign of him. She shuffled over to the door of her brother’s room, putting her ear against it. No sound. She did the same to Tochtli’s door, with the same outcome. She clicked her tongue in disappointment, and began to turn around only to be startled by a familiar voice.

“What are you doing Sadie?”

Sadie faced the source of the voice, bringing herself face to face with a powerful magician, and Carter’s ex, Zia Rashid, looking only a bit angered. Sadie thought of an excuse and quickly answered, “Only looking for my brother.”

“By trying to listen in on him? In someone else’s room?”

“I have to cover all the bases. But that doesn't even matter, he's not here.”

Zia sighed, “Really? Great...” She began turning back to the entrance of the hallway, stopped only by Sadie calling out to her.

“Wait. Why were you up here?”

Without turning, Zia answered, “Same reason as you. I was looking for your brother. It’s time for his class.” Before Sadie could ask a follow up question, Zia was already marching down the stairs and the Kane had no energy to chase after her. Instead, she chose to look for Carter as well, knowing full well that wherever he was, so would the Suárez.

Knocking on doors, walking down hallways, entering rooms, It was quite a bore for Sadie. Yet, if she wanted answers, this was the only way. Finally, she reached the only room she had yet to check, the Kitchen. There was no need to be polite before entering, as she was one of the few allowed to enter unattended. As Sadie pushed the swinging doors open, she heard a light giggling in the back corner of the room. With unprecedented speed, she jerked her head in its direction, seeing Tochtli and Carter both in the middle of flattening some...doughy substance with a yellowish tint.

“You!” she shouted, causing both boys to jump slightly and cease smiling. Carter, as he lifted his head, became increasingly aware of who had disturbed them. “What do you want Sadie?” he asked, more annoyed than anything else.

“Zia’s looking for you. Says it’s time for your class,” she exclaimed with the same amount of smugness she always expressed.

“Oh, crap,” Carter whispered to himself, rushing over to the nearest sink to wash his hands. “I can’t believe I forgot to keep an eye on the clock. Sorry Tochtli,” he apologized as he dried his hands, “Can we continue this later?”

“Yeah, don't worry about it.”

“Thanks,” Carter exhaled just as he exited the kitchen in the direction of his class.

Tochtli smiled and looked back down at his now flat circular disc of ‘dough’. Sadie watched as he set it aside and pulled some more of the substance from a bowl and placed in right in front of him.

She smirked, realizing this as her in. She came searching for the demigod to get information but she first had to gain his trust, something she learned from too many police investigation procedurals. She inched her way over to the Suárez, watching as he intently squished the glob of...something between the table and a flat tray.

“So, what do we have here?”

“Maize,” the boy answered.

Sadie squinted in confusion, “...Which is...?”

“It’s...made out of corn,” Tochtli said, giving Sadie a suspicious look.

“And what’s it used for?”

“A lot of things. Right now I’m using it to make tortillas.”

Sadie inhaled as she finally came to understanding, “Oh. So that’s how you make them. I’ve never seen anyone make them by hand before.”

Tochtli sighed, “What do you want Sadie?” He turned his attention away from his creation, looking directly into the Kane’s eyes.

“What? Can't a lady show some interest in culinary practices she’s unfamiliar with?”

Tochtli crossed his arms, still unwavering. “Not when that lady is you,” he harrumphed. “When I asked Carter if he wanted me to invite you to help out today, he said you would be the last person in this house to say yes.”

“That cheeky...” Sadie said to herself in a hushed tone. “Well, my brother has a penchant for being wrong about things, especially when they pertain to my motives.” The Kane did her best to sound truthful but as the eye contact persisted, her defenses weakened. The hazel orbs had a strange, almost hypnotic, aspect to them. They felt similar to Quetzalcoatl’s only with more sympathy in them than anything sinister. This led her to break a lot quicker than she was hoping. “Oh alright,” she blurted, “I came here to ask you something, about yesterday.”

With those words, Tochtli’s body tensed and his eyes lost their sympathetic veneer. Sadie noticed his reaction, saving it for use later. “Oh...o-okay then,” the boy mumbled.

Sadie did her best to make Tochtli comfortable again, waving her hand through the air, “Ah, don't worry about it. Carter’s always been very insensitive about other people’s feelings. The only people he hasn't made cry are me and your sister.”

“R-right...” Tochtli said, fidgeting with his hands.

“I just wanted to know what he said to you that way I can punish him accordingly.”

“No! Please, it’s alright really. We were just...” the Suárez bit his lower lip, something she knew her brother to do when thinking too hard. “Talking...about people we...l-liked,” Tochtli’s face filled with red, a reaction which Sadie found adorable.

“I see. I think I understand.”

“You do?”

Sadie smiled, “Yeah. He made fun of you after you bore your feelings out for someone. The lack of tact on that guy.” Of course, she didn't entirely believe this statement, but Tochtli’s reactions and manner of speaking spoke volumes to a theory she was forming in her head. She needed a few more pieces of evidence and then she would present it to Metztli, hopefully so it will be accepted.

“W-well...that’s...” the demigod tried to explain, quickly interrupted by Sadie placing her hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she started, “I understand.” She smiled at him, the tension in his muscles releasing. Without a word, she began making her way out of the kitchen. About halfway to the door, she turned to Tochtli and said, “I’m gonna have a talk with Carter, get the full story from him. You’re cool with that?”

“Y-yeah,” the Mexican responded quite quickly.

“Alright then,” Sadie waved, “I’ll talk to you later.” She passed through the swinging doors, restraining her giggling as they closed. Her plan was going well, if not better than expected. With her analysis of Tochtli and verbal permission from him to get a more detailed story, there was little that was going to stop her.

She sped towards the library, the location she knew was hosting Carter’s class that day. She crossed the lounge area and was about to burst through the door, only to be stopped by a lock. She huffed, speaking a command. The lock shined with a hieroglyph, allowing her to push through with no resistance. Stares from the trainees and a glare from her brother were all that were present on the other side.

“What do you want Sadie?” Carter’s mouth opened after he finished the sentence, only for it to close almost immediately, as if he had thought of multiple additions to it only for them all to end the same unavoidable way.

“I need to speak with you for a moment,” she explained. Carter didn't respond. Sadie sighed loudly, “In private?”

Carter let out his own sound of exasperation. “I’ll be back everyone. Keep practising until I get back.” Sadie gestured to exit as her brother made his way in her direction. He rolled his eyes as she closed the door behind them. “What’s the problem this time?” He asked facetiously, crossing his arms.

“I want to know what happened yesterday with you and Tochtli.” Just as the demigod had reacted, Carter tensed up.

“T-that’s not my place to say. You have to let him tell you on his terms.” Sadie noted that comment.

“No, not that. I already talked to him and I came to get your side of the story.” Again, just as with Tochtli, she knew what she was saying wasn't true but it got information out of her target.

“O-oh...” Carter relaxed, “In that case...I asked him if he had romantic feelings for someone which turned to him saying that he was...you know...” Sadie nodded, not because she did know, but because she needed her brother to keep talking. “I didn't exactly react in a way that was comforting which caused him to get super emotional and run off. I went to his room to apologize and explain. As you saw earlier, he forgave me, which was helped by the fact that we were able to relate since I had a crush on Percy...as you well know.”

Sadie masked her shock behind a chuckle and a muffled, “Yeah.”

Carter rolled his eyes a second time, “Anyway...that’s about it. Now you've got the full story. Can I get back to my class now?”

“One more question,” she spoke. While she couldn't say it to her brother’s face, Sadie had read his secret diary, what Carter called a journal, and there were some details she wanted ‘clarification’ on. Of course, asking some of them would immediately tip off her brother but some she could easily reword and cause no suspicion. “Do you know where Tochtli got that Modius amulet?”

“O-oh, yeah...I...I gave it to him,” Carter scratched the side of his arm, refusing to look Sadie in the eye.

“Why?”

“W-well...I thought it would be a nice gesture...his first possession in America? Plus the modius is a symbol of Serapis, the god of rebirth that is shared between the Greeks and-”

Sadie waved her hand, “Yeah, yeah. I know. But why Serapis?”

“I thought the symbolism worked well for him considering...” Carter trailed off, obviously stuck in his own thoughts. He shook his head, turning to Sadie, “Whatever. Is that all? Anymore ‘necessary’ questions?” he asked, employing the use of air-quotes.

Sadie smiled, “Nope, that’s all.” Carter bowed his head to show thanks and walked back to the library door. The female Kane watched, waiting for her brother to enter and close the door behind him. When he did, she began marching, practically running, through the mansion’s lounge area, up the stairs and into the hallway that contained her room. She burst through her door, seeing Metztli still sitting at the head of her bed and on her phone and cleared her throat.

“Hmm,” Metztli grunted without even looking up.

Sadie closed her door and walked to the end of her bed. She put her hands on her hips and stared accusingly at her friend. “You’re brother’s gay and my brother has unacknowledged feelings for him.”

A smirk on Metztli’s face was highlighted by the light from her phone. She dropped her hands and lifted her head to look at Sadie. “So what are we going to do about it?”


	5. Bravado

Metztli had...heard things. Things that weren’t real, at least in the sense that they were only heard by her. Whisperings, in a voice she recognized, only in her own head. She knew who the voice belonged to, but she wished she would never hear it. Unfortunately, the world of the gods rarely worked in her favor.

This voice only spoke a few short words. ‘The return,’ it said. ‘Danger’, ‘destiny’, ‘denial’, other words not starting with a ‘d’. She knew what this meant. She had been warned about this. She just hoped it was a false alarm. There was only one way to confirm, and it involved her brother.

She pounded on Tochtli’s bedroom door, stopping once the door was opened and revealed her disheveled brother’s outline. “Metztli?” he whispered, almost worried by her presence. Considering how early in the morning it was, it was no wonder. But something about his expression told Metztli exactly what she needed to know. “Y-you heard it too, right?”

Metztli nodded, her brother pulling her into his room. She put up no protest, passively watching as Tochtli rushed to close the door and paced through his quarters. “What do we do?” She asked, knowing it would do nothing to help her brother’s frantic thoughts.

“I don't know...should we...should we tell them?”

“Tell them what? That the only reason we defeated Coyolxauhqui was because we made a deal with that _comemierda_ Ometeotl? That some...thing is going to return and we’re going to have to help it? That we have no other choice but to follow the orders of that demon?”

Tochtli groaned, “You don't get it. If we don't tell them then we will be putting them at risk. They deserve to know that we’re going to have to leave and finish our part of the deal. I don't want them to come along and risk getting them hurt.”

Metztli sighed, walking up to her brother and placing her hands on his shoulders. “They're going to follow us no matter what we say.” Tochtli looked to the floor. Unexpectedly, his breath hitched and it sounded as if he was about to cry. Metztli took no time in embracing her brother, giving him the comfort he needed.

“I just...don't want to lose them...” Metztli stayed silent, letting her brother express his feelings. Since they left Mexico, she had become more accustomed to empathizing with her brother. They both needed someone to talk to about their problems, someone to keep them sane. She was the person Tochtli first came out to, and for that, she saw him as even braver than she had originally. She was there for him during his first breakdown at Brooklyn House, something about not fitting in. She was his rock, and he was her idol.

She had always looked up to him, even if she kept it a secret, and seeing him at his most vulnerable allowed her to make sense of her own emotions. Comforting him allowed her to learn about being more empathetic. She respected her brother for staying strong for so long but knowing that he was just as complex as anyone else was in itself, comforting. It meant even her own flawed self can be just as brave, just as strong, as the person she idolized.

Metztli left Tochtli’s room not long after he had finished crying. She needed to get ready for that morning, knowing full well Sadie would bring her along somewhere. She was looking forward to it, anything to take her mind off her deal with Ometeotl. She hoped she would have time to freshen up, but standing in the doorframe of her room was Sadie.  
“So are you gonna tell me why you’re making so much noise so early in the morning?” Even if she sounded as nonchalant as always, her unbrushed hair and tired eyes showed that she was just as tired as Metztli.

“Are you going to tell me why you got out of bed to confront me?”

“Yes, actually,” Sadie smiled, gesturing for the Suárez to enter her room. Without hesitation, Metztli did so, taking her place on Sadie’s mattress. “About our brothers...” the magician began as she shut the door behind her, “I have a plan to get them together.”

Metztli groaned, “I already told you I wouldn't help unless we know Tochtli is okay with it.”

Sadie smirked, “And that’s what part one is all about.”

~~~~~

“What else can you do with that fire?” Carter wondered as he scribbled in his notebook. He and Metztli were in the training area, the latter doing different magical tasks all in hopes of providing the Kane with useful data.

“What? Something other than burn things?” Metztli quipped.

“Well, you're brother opened up a portal to the Underworld one time. I've been trying to get him to do it again but...”

Metztli crossed her arms, “You know that took an amount of control that he doesn't have anymore, yeah?”

Carter’s brow furrowed, “What do you mean?”

The Suárez sighed, “You know like...emotions. If they aren't in order, it’s harder to do magic.”

“Are you saying the power of your magic is determined by emotional stability?”

Metztli tilted her head slightly, “Yes?”

The magician’s eyes widened, as he hastily jotted down more notes. “That explains why your brother’s nagual...” He stopped himself, treading into territory where his safety was unclear.

“What about his nagual?” the demigod asked, waiting as Carter finished his notes and looked up.

“Well...right before he told me he was...” the Kane awkwardly cleared his throat, “You know...he summoned his nagual. As we were talking, it started fading away and then when he...confessed it completely vanished. You telling me the power of your magic revolves around emotional stability explains why that happened in the first place.”

Metztli was half-listening. She already knew all this, having had a magic lecture on the topic from Ichtaca years ago. But she had a reason to not ignore it completely.  
Sadie had a plan, a three-part plan, to get their brothers hanging out in a more romantic way. Metztli rejected any proposal from her friend that didn't involve getting Tochtli’s approval in some way. This stipulation was used to create part one of the plan, which Sadie had put herself in charge of. Part two involved getting Carter to admit his feelings in some capacity. Metztli was placed in charge of that step, something she volunteered to do, knowing full well that controlling the information on Carter would encourage Sadie to be honest about her brother. She would have liked to be a part of step one but that required subtlety, something Metztli lacked while Sadie carried in spades. Talking to Carter didn't require as much, as many of the questions she needed to ask wouldn't arouse suspicion, at least she hoped they didn't.

As long as she could keep them tangentially related to Carter’s ramblings, she should be okay. “Actually, Carter,” Metztli spoke, “I wanted to ask you about my brother.”  
Carter placed his notebook to his side, something he did when he was in need of a break, or when he was about to take one. “Alright, but...why me? I can't really tell you anything you don't already know about him.”

“I just...” Metztli was briefed on what she should ask, but wording it in a way that wouldn't seem suspicious was something she had to do herself. She thought briefly and finished, “I wanted to know what your deal with him is.”

Carter’s posture went from a slouch to an almost perfect vertical line. He inhaled sharply, “M-my what?”

“You don't need to play dumb,” the Mexican said, “We both know my brother likes men. Are you-”

“N-no!” the Kane shouted defensively, a fact noted by Metztli. “It’s not...it’s not like that. We’re just friends, is all. We enjoy hanging out with each other like any friends would.”

“Then...what was with that amulet you gave him?”

“I...” Carter looked away from the Suárez. He fiddled with his fingers as he came up with an answer, “I thought a gift from a friend would make living somewhere new easier.”

“So why didn't you give me one?” Metztli questioned, crossing her arms.

“W-well...you seemed much more calm about the whole thing and...I didn't want to give you the wrong idea.”

The demigod took a step closer to Carter, amping up her interrogatory attitude, “What does that mean?”

Carter’s face turned a subtle shade of red, “Oh, come on. Don't make me say it...” Metztli faked a scowl, an attempt to get her target to spill his guts. She hoped she wouldn't need to hold it for too long. For the first time that day, her wish came true, for no sooner than the thought popped into her head, Carter sighed. “I thought...if I gave one to you, you might take it to mean I was interested...that I wanted to...”

Metztli couldn't contain herself after hearing those words. She blew an unintentional raspberry and cackled, something she so rarely did. She fell to her knees, not even bothering to try and calm herself. The idea of her even considering to date Carter was as unexpected as it was ridiculous. “_Ay, que rico!_” she exhaled as her laughing took a pause for her to breath. She wiped a few tears from under her eyes as she the magician’s face brightened.

The moment passed and Metztli slowed her breathing. With one final push of humor, she apologized, _“Lo siento, pero..._” She stood up, dusting the dirt off her jeans, “That was just one of the funniest things you've ever said.”

Trying his best to regain his composure after being embarrassed, Carter pleaded, “C-can we change the subject, please?”

“Not yet,” Metztli lightly exhaled.

“Haven't I been dealt enough embarrassment today?”

“Well, I have a follow-up question.” Carter’s face contorted, preparing for another equally humiliating question and answer. “Of course you remember apologizing to Tochtli,” Metztli began. “But after, when he gave you that hug...what happened to you?”

While his demeanor and body language had returned to normal, the coloring of his face had not. In fact, Metztli’s query may have even worsened the redness. “I...I don't...” he stammered, unable to come up with a viable excuse quick enough.

Metztli placed her hands on her hips, “Are you really going to do this again? I saw your face turn all red.”

“That was...he just surprised me.”

The demigod was unimpressed with that answer. She crossed her arms, asking another follow-up, “What about the week before when I caught you staring at him during dinner?”

“T-that...” Carter scratched his arm, struggling just as he had before, “I was only...”

“Or when you accidentally walked in on him changing and you couldn't stop thinking about it for the whole day.” This was a fact she and Sadie had found while snooping through Carter’s diary, meaning it was something only Carter would know about. However, due to the heat of the moment, Metztli had let her knowledge slip. Luckily, for the same reason, Carter hadn't noticed.

“Alright!” the magician shouted, startling the demigod slightly. He cleared his throat, “Alright...” He pushed his hair back and took a deep breath, preparing to give Metztli the answer she was, most likely, hoping for. “So maybe I've got some...unresolved feelings about your brother. Maybe I think going out with him would be nice. Maybe the only reason I haven't done anything about it is because the last time I tried doing this with someone else, they only showed up because of a misunderstanding and I fainted. Maybe I don't want to step over a line that I'm not sure I should cross considering how we’ve connected as just platonic friends. Maybe...I find you intimidating and I’d rather stay on your good side and asking your brother out might not be favorable to you.”

Hearing Carter’s final reason for his hesitance surprised Metztli, only for a mere second. Upon reflection into her character, it was clear why he had felt that way. Metztli had shown to be protective of her brother and her family. But, she still had difficulty socializing with those she was not related to.

At first, her inability to connect with others seemed to just be a personality quirk. But as she grew older, Metztli realized it was actually a byproduct of the loss of her mother. While their loss caused Tochtli to soften and become both socially and mentally strong, Metztli only made it seem as if she was. She had made it a point to exude an intimidating energy, one that purposefully presented her as strong and tough. Unfortunately it also had the effect of making her seem unapproachable and aloof. It was a way to protect herself from getting emotionally attached to people, a way to justify other people’s distance. If she could make it seem like she didn't care, she wouldn't have to deal with losing someone dear to her. If she kept away, then she wouldn't have to watch someone leave her life permanently.

This, however, was a miserable way to live, a fact she quickly came to terms with after meeting the Kane’s. They showed her that starving herself of meaningful human interaction only made her worse. They never told her specifically or provided her with lessons, but seeing them interact with people they've never met, watching as they sympathized with those they've never seen, it opened up her eyes slightly. They weren't the ones responsible for her change, however. That honor went to ‘that _comemierda_’ Ometeotl.

She spoke with the embodiment of chaos three times. The first time, they denied to unlock her true magical potential, their reasoning being that she had failed to accept her place in the world, whatever that was supposed to mean. By the second time, however, Metztli had come to understand what they meant. Her place was by the side of her fellow heroes. If she continued to distance herself, she would put all her friends and allies at risk. She needed to accept that her attitude was harmful, and with a little bit of pushing from the deity, she had.

From there, she no longer felt inferior to her brother, she felt equal to him. She no longer felt as if she needed to push people away, she was open to connecting with people. It took some time, but she eventually became good friends with Sadie. A while later and she added Carter to that mix, as well as all the other occupants of Brooklyn house. And it was this fact that made her pause.

Carter, someone she secretly considered a friend, had continually been intimidated by her. Even when she softened her demeanor, he still felt like she was unapproachable. For this, she felt...angry? Frustrated? It was more accurate to call it an understanding. She knew why he was hesitant to initiate anything involving her family. She hadn't shown him definitively that she was no longer who she was when they first met. She hadn't told any of the Kane’s her true feelings. That was something they deserved to know.

“Maybe...I’m okay with that.”

Carter shot his eyes upward to look at Metztli, curiosity his only visible emotion. “W-what?” he wondered, thrown off by the Suárez’s response to his tirade.

“Maybe...I'm okay with you dating my brother.” Metztli sighed, “Maybe I think you would be good for him. Maybe...I think you are a great person and I respect you.”

“Metztli...” Carter smiled, the softest smile he had ever given the demigod.

“I said ‘Maybe’,” Metztli blurted, as if disgusted by the tone of his voice.

“Right...” Carter smirked, rolling his eyes. It slowly faded, however, as he continued to think on the substance of their conversation. “Does this mean...” he asked, almost whispering., “you’re okay if I...”

Metztli pushed some of her hair out of her face, “Look, I don't want either of you getting your hearts broken or having your friendship ruined. I’ll talk to Tochtli and if I think it will be fine for you to make a move, I will tell you.”

“Thanks...I'm glad you're looking out for me,” Carter’s shoulders relaxed, something they hadn't done since they started talking.

“Don't feel too special,” Metztli grunted. “I still value you below my brother.” The two shared a mutual smile and comfortable silence, a completely foreign experience to the Suárez. As it waned for almost too long. Metztli cleared her throat, “I...I think that's enough for today.” Carter nodded, allowing the demigod to begin making her way out of the training court. Just as she was about to exit the doors, Carter shouted.

“W-wait a minute.” He stood up from his seat, a look of pure confusion plastered on his face. “How did you know how I felt after walking in on your brother? I never told anybody what I was thinking.”

Metztli knew he would eventually catch on. She pushed the doors open and before the magician could complain about her exit, she replied, “Talk to you later, Carter.” She smirked, knowing full well he would figure out the answer to his question himself.

With the doors closed behind her, she began walking back to her room. As she walked up the steps, she decided to update her partner in crime, if only to tease her. Metztli pulled out her phone and texted a new message to Sadie, only two words.  
‘Mission accomplished’.


	6. 400 Lux

Tochtli really wished he could forget things on purpose. Sometimes, forgetting something was preferable to recollecting it nonstop for days, weeks, maybe even months. In the case of this day, it was a conversation with a friend, one who oftentimes lacked tact. Sadie Kane.

Sadie had approached Tochtli in the kitchen, the second time she had done so. The first time, he believed it was to bother her brother, who was providing assistance for the day's meal. It eventually turned into Sadie trying to pry information from his lips, with increasingly unsubtle means. He never divulged anything she could use. That’s what he thought at least.

The second time Sadie interrupted his culinary activities, he was proven wrong. Her first words made it clear she knew a secret kept from everyone except his sister and Carter.

“When did you know?”

Tochtli’s shoulders tensed as he turned his attention to the ‘interloper’ of his ‘sanctuary’. “I...I'm sorry? When did I know what?”

“You know...” Sadie inched closer to him, the corner of her lip rising. “The fact that you...swing for the other team?”  
Tochtli wasn't great with metaphor, especially when it was in English, but in this case, he knew exactly what she meant. He had heard the term in passing since his time in Brooklyn house, whether in the city, on television, or even in Brooklyn house itself. He was even sure he had heard Sadie use it at least one other time.

His familiarity with the term didn't mean he was any more prepared to react to it being used to reference his own sexual preference. One could even argue it made him less prepared. For this reason, he took too long to respond to Sadie’s question. She didn't give him more than a few seconds before reacting to the silence.

“I know this might seem out of nowhere but I was just curious. I put some pieces together from the other day after talking to Carter and I thought...” Her expression turned to mild concern, an emotion Tochtli had never seen the Kane express. “Unless...you're not...and I just misinterpreted...”

Tochtli’s shoulders sagged. He had no reason to lie about his truth and seeing that she was genuinely concerned with offending him made him feel more open to clearing things up. “N-no...you didn't get it wrong...I am...” For whatever reason, Tochtli always found it difficult to announce his sexual orientation with direct words. He would have chalked it up to his own anxieties but almost everyone he had spoken to about the topic had done the same, increasing the likelihood that this was a fact of human nature. It seemed that any subject that was rarely tread upon would often be spoken about with euphemism.

It’s why he didn't explicitly say he was a homosexual, choosing to answer the original question instead. “As for when I knew...around secondary school. First or second year...I think.”

Sadie perked back up, smiling just as she had before. “Would that be around the same time when you had your first crush? That’s usually how that thing works, right?”

Tochtli nodded, a bit too embarrassed to provide an audible answer.

“Ooh,” Sadie teased, “tell me about him. Was he someone you knew?”

The demigod’s thoughts immediately shot towards an old friend, one that had caused him needless heartache. Ignacio. Even if Tochtli liked to pretend that he didn't care much anymore about his lost companion, in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't true. He knew that he missed him, that thinking about what they could still have if he hadn't said anything hurt. He knew in the back of his mind because that’s the only place Ignacio stayed for good. A place he could always go back to.

He must have been lost in thought because, Sadie did just as she had before, taking control of the conversation. “Sorry, I wasn't trying to be too pushy. But...how about this. Would you be more comfortable if I told you about my romantic interests first?” Tochtli didn't have time to answer before the magician was already rambling. “Well, I make it a point to always keep my options open. For that reason, you would be hard-pressed to find a guy I didn't have some interest in. I have noticed that I have a thing for guys who are mysterious or brooding. I mean, the first time I saw Anubis I was already head over heels. In hindsight, the same thing could be said about Walt. And now the fact that their one and the same? It’s a real shame my dad AND mum both cracked down on that. Honestly, the nerve of them...”

Tochtli could see Sadie tiring herself out with speaking in the near future, plus she had inadvertently put him in an introspective mood. These two facts added together made his blank staring an inevitability.

While Sadie rambled about what boys she found attractive, Tochtli couldn't help but internally focus on the same topic. It was difficult for him to pinpoint what he liked. It was easy for him to list off the traits of Ignacio and end it there but it was more complicated than that. He had an aversion, almost, to finding other guys attractive. Part of this was due to his bad experience. It meant that he couldn't quantify any traits, external or otherwise. He was even inclined to say the exact opposite of Ignacio just for the sheer accuracy. But this characterization on himself was just as inaccurate.

He knew that he was still attracted to those aspects, but that didn't mean he wanted to acknowledge that fact. He wanted to pretend like he didn't know what he liked, what his ideal partner looked and acted like. He may not want an exact copy of Ignacio, that would hurt too much, but someone with some similar aspects and enough dissimilar ones to differentiate him would suffice.

It was almost cruel then that his focus returned to Sadie when she spoke a familiar name, “...like Carter. It makes sense, considering he’s my brother, but it sucks that he has ruined a perfectly viable section of the dating pool just for being who he is. Not to say that I find everyone who reminds me of him unattractive, just that I wouldn't be able to separate Carter from them. I don't know. What do you think?”

Tochtli blinked a couple of times, enough for him to clear his head and make sense of the question. What did he think of Carter? Well, he couldn't say he was extremely infatuated with his looks, but he couldn't say the opposite either. Some aspects reminded him of Ignacio, one prerequisite for him being attracted to someone, like his manner of speaking, his attitude, his sense of humor. And just as well, there was enough to differentiate him. His height, build, skin color, and of course, sexuality. But even if he admitted to himself that he found Carter at least slightly attractive in many ways, that wouldn't change the fact that he was terrified of rejection.

Ignacio had done a number on Tochtli’s psyche, least of which was how he felt about rejection. In the end, it mattered little. The demigod hadn't thought about Carter in a romantic sense until that moment, and while it had many ups, it had an equal number of downs. He wasn't going to proceed with those thoughts anytime soon. But...he could at least admit that they existed to a close friend, right?

“I...I don't know. I don't...I mean he isn't my brother and even though we’re friends...I don't think he’s made anyone like him off limits...for me I mean. I even think that maybe...he has some attractive qualities.”

Sadie’s eyes widened, her mouth downturned in surprise. “I...I didn't mean Carter specifically,” she muttered, “I kind of just meant if you understood my point of view.”  
Tochtli’s demeanor abruptly changed to extreme embarrassment. “O-oh...” he squeaked. With his face bright red, he tried his best to backtrack, even if Sadie didn't buy into it,

“I-I mean...I’m not saying...It’s not...”

That conversation continued on for a few minutes longer, Tochtli trying to take back what he said out of pure shame, Sadie trying to get him to talk about her brother further. Neither one was successful in their efforts.

It was this conversation that Tochtli wanted to forget. He knew that it would cause him to cringe every time he remembered it. He didn't want to forget because he denied the truthfulness of his statement and thoughts at the time. He wanted to forget so that he could come to terms with it in a much more controlled way. Talking with Sadie was not that.

His desire to forget was so strong that he was willing to take on any number of alternatives, even ones that were temporary. Luckily, or unluckily depending on the perspective, he got just that in his sleep. Just as with Sadie’s interactions, this was the second time it had occurred. This, however, wasn’t an awkward chat with a friend. It was a menacing warning from a deity.

Months prior, Tochtli and a collection of other demigods, heroes, relatives, and gods, defeated the homicidal deity Coyolxauhqui. While it seemed a concise victory, ending with her complete destruction, it was not without cost. That cost was unknown to everyone involved in the goddess’ defeat, all except for Tochtli and his sister.

The twins were tasked in the final moments of the fight to ‘convince’ the aspect of Chaos, Ometeotl, to fight on their side. Tezcatlipoca, the arbiter of the command, did not specify how they were to do this, implying they were to do this on their own. Luckily, it was much more straightforward than Tochtli had expected.

The two, with the help of a magical artifact known as an ihuitlexochitl, communed with the incorporeal being. They described their intentions for doing so and were greeted with characteristic indifference. Ometeotl agreed to destroy the psychopathic goddess on one condition. The Suárez twins will help the primordial during an undisclosed time in the future. A favor for a favor.

Tochtli was hesitant to accept the offer outright, but with allies waiting for them to bring cooperation, a goddess on the brink of destroying their friends, and the possibility of apocalypse looming over him, his choice was already chosen for him. Metztli knew this to be just as true. So they agreed.

Once they were back in the heaven of the sun, Metztli had hardly said they were finished before the twins were already being positioned for a spell. They had no opportunity to explain the price they will pay in the future. During and after the spell itself, Tochtli also felt heavier, not physically but mentally. He never dwelled on it however, the same went for the price, as the high of defeating a goddess was coursing through everyone. The mournful air that spread over the heroes as they watched the sun breathe his last breath provided the same effect.

In the end, he expected Ometeotl’s need for payment to arrive years in the future. But things rarely went as expected, as only a few months later, under the dim light of early morning, he was startled awake by familiar whisperings from the god. They spoke of ‘destiny’ and a ‘return’, nothing he could easily explain away. He considered them just a figment of his imagination but frantic knocking at his door by his sister Metztli caused doubt to set in. Even after she confirmed the warning to be true, he still held on to the possibility that it was a long ways off. The second time the voices came forward in his sleep, made this impossible to believe any longer.

The voice, the layered, otherworldly drawl of Ometeotl, was clearer than the whispers. They clarified their previous warnings. They spoke of ‘A destiny that needed fulfilling’. A ‘form hidden and waiting for inevitable release’. All of it was unnerving. Ometeotl may have been the progenitor, the original primordial, The Creator, but that didn't mean their actions were in the best interests of their creations. The existence of the Aztecs was for their own selfish fears and not to provide people with gods to worship and rever, after all.

For all Tochtli was concerned, Ometeotl’s machinations were as sinister as they sounded. The fact that he was now indebted to them was far from comforting. The fact that Metztli believed they should keep it secret until they figured out what they wanted was demoralizing. Tochtli needed someone to vent to. He needed to let anyone know the truth before the guilt caused him to explode. And who better to talk to than Carter Kane, someone he knew would understand and would comfort him as needed.  
It had been a day since the dream, a few since his embarrassing conversation with Sadie, both of which caused him emotional fatigue. He sat on the couch in the main room of the mansion, head leaning on the top of the back cushion. He was waiting for his friend to come back down the stairs, having been chased up them earlier by his sister. Tochtli could hear the occasional shout, specifically from Carter, and the longer their argument went on, the more anxious he became.

Eventually, the shouting stopped and was replaced with footsteps on the stairs. Tochtli exhaled and turned around, ready to call out for Carter. He stopped his voice in his throat as his eyes made contact with Carter’s nervous stare. He was going to ask what was wrong but the Kane spoke as he hit the bottom of the steps, preventing the question from being asked.

“Tochtli...I have something to ask you...”

“Uh, yeah,” the demigod muttered, propping his arms on the back of the sofa, knees planted on the cushions. “What is it?”

Carter slowly stepped in Tochtli’s direction, avoiding direct eye contact when possible, “So...there’s this thing happening at Camp Half-blood tomorrow. Percy told me about it. It’s like a dance...or something. I don't know, he didn't say too much about it because it’s supposed to be a surprise for Jason...I think. Anyway, he invited me and said I could bring you guys as well.”

“You mean, me and Metztli?” Tochtli asked for clarification.

Carter nodded, “Yeah...but...I was coming to you to see if...maybe you wanted to...” Carter’s face burned scarlet. He fidgeted with his hands, refusing to look at Tochtli in any capacity. His mouth twitched as if he was trying to finish his sentence. He seemed to find the nerve to do so just as a shout came from the top of the stairs.

“HE’S TRYING TO ASK YOU OU-” the familiar voice of Sadie sounded only to be muffled as quickly as it began. Carter tensed up and finally watched for Tochtli’s reaction.

With enough context clues floating around, he was able to figure out what was happening. Carter was clearly trying to ask him on a date. A dance. To say Tochtli was surprised would be the understatement of the century. And he wasn't just surprised either. He was equal parts flattered, confused, and anxious, a combination of emotions he had never thought possible. Any response he gave would be lacking in some regard and for that he stayed quiet, letting Carter confirm or deny the deduction.

“I...yes...I wanted to ask if...you would maybe want to...go to the dance...with me...”

Tochtli couldn't tell, but he felt just as red as Carter. With all that had happened in the span of a few days, he would be a fool to decline the offer. He liked Carter enough to at least try and see what dating him would be like and he needed a distraction from the droll of day-to-day life in Brooklyn house. It was no wonder then, that Tochtli answered in such a way. “Y-yes. I...I think I'd like that.”

Tochtli didn't remember much from the rest of that day. All he did recall was receiving a tight hug from Carter, and the distant holler of excitement from Sadie. He remembered going out with the Kane’s and Metztli to find outfits for the event to come. He remembered falling asleep with relative ease, focusing on what the next day entailed and feeling ecstatic.  
For a moment, he finally forgot what had plagued him for so long. It was just as he hoped it would be.


	7. Team

Jason had noticed something a bit off with his companions. About a week prior, they had begun disappearing for a few hours, only to reappear later with vague explanations for their absence. If he was more inconsiderate of their privacy, he would have tailed them to see what they were hiding. Only, Jason was far from the kind of person to do so, especially with those he trusted and considered friends. If they were going to keep secrets from him, who was he to demand they not? He was nothing if not understanding. But it would have been hard for him to ignore it forever. Eventually, whether they wanted him to or not, he was going to find out the reason for their secrecy. That time came a week after the suspicious activity started.

Credit where it was due, the attempt to keep the arrival of the Argo III a secret from Jason was admirable. It would have been successful too if Jason decided not to look upwards to get a better look at the glowing bronze object in his peripheral vision just before it landed. Judging from Reyna’s flustered speech and attempts at directing his attention towards her, she was aware of the ship’s destination.

“Jason!” she shouted, sprinting to his side, “I...have something for you to look over...in the senate building...over here...”

Jason furrowed his brow, “What about the Argo? Don't you think we should see who’s on it? It could be Leo. Maybe another world-ending quest needs to be dealt with.”

Reyna, while good at hiding her own personal feelings, was not a good actress. She opened her eyes a little too wide, and spoke with too much naivete, “Oh wow! I hadn't noticed it. We probably should go and investigate.”

Jason giggled internally, already beginning his trek towards the ship. As they walked through the streets of New Rome, he could hear his companion muttering to herself. “What was that?” he asked, knowing any answer would key him in on the specifics of her secret.

“Nothing,” she answered, returning to her mumbles only quieter than before. The two continued through the cobblestone paths, finally reaching the outskirts of the city, the vague outline of Terminus in the distance. Between them and the statue stood the large flying vessel as well as two familiar faces entering it.

“Frank? Hazel? What are you guys doing?” Jason wondered aloud, loud enough for the pair in question to hear.  
They stopped dead in their tracks, Frank with one foot on the bottom step and Hazel just behind him. They turned their attention towards the son of Jupiter, trying their best not to look guilty. “Hey, Jason...” Frank waved, “We’re just...”

Before he could answer, a voice from the top deck shouted, “They were gonna help me out with something but...” The long-haired visage of Piper peeked over the edge, looking at her friends standing below. “I told Leo this wasn't going to work.”

Jason’s attention was piqued at the mention of his significant other, “Leo?” He gauged the expressions of everyone present, each one confirming his suspicions. This was Leo’s idea. But what did it consist of exactly? It seemed strange to secretly contact all his friends and conspire to sneak the Argo into New Rome. “Would any of you like to tell me what’s going on?”

No one answered. Hazel did, however, gesture for Jason to follow. “Come on,” she said, “It’s not like it’ll be a secret much longer.” She lightly pushed Frank to get him moving up the steps, an action he understood. Jason, still confused by the situation, walked behind them as they entered the lower deck of the Argo. Behind him, Reyna still trailed, admiring the craftsmanship of the interior. The four friends climbed a few more staircases, past a couple of storage rooms, utility rooms, and bedrooms, before finally standing on the top deck.

Waiting just at the top by the hatch was Piper, smiling and with her hands behind her back. She watched expectantly as each of the four demigods popped through the entryway. Jason planted his feet firmly on the bronze decking, scanning the scene. He found nothing except for his friends. The deck was clear of any weapons, Leo wasn't manning the wheel, it was almost worryingly bare. “Uh...Pipes?” Jason turned to her, his face showing subtle hints of anxiety, “Do you want to explain what the hell is going on here?”

Piper ignored the question, peeking behind Jason and speaking to the others present, “Your outfits are in the bedrooms. Leo added Frank and Hazel’s names on the back rooms and Reyna, your stuff’s in mine.” The three demigods nodded and headed below deck, leaving Piper and Jason alone.

“Outfits?” Jason wondered.

“Yup,” Piper brought her hands forward. Folded in her open palms was a piece of white linen decorated in vibrant blue flower-like designs. On top was a bronze laurel crown,

“This one’s yours.”

Jason reached his hands outward and took hold of the fabric. He examined it closely, taking the metal laurel and looking for any signs of mechanics, a button or switch. He found nothing. He sighed, “So...I’m putting this on?”

Piper scoffed, “Well, yeah. I didn't give it to you for you to just look at.”

“But...” Jason was still completely confused. The dressings only added to that. Why would he need to put on a special outfit? “Why, though?”

Piper smiled and patted him on the shoulder. She turned around towards the wheel. “Hurry up and get that stuff on. I’m sure Leo wouldn't mind if we arrive a bit early.”

Jason shook his head in utter disbelief. “Arrive where?”

“Camp Half-blood, silly.” Piper gripped the bronze wheel and pushed a button at its center. Before Jason could react to her response, the Argo III began ascending, heading eastward in the direction of New York City.

~~~~~

It took very little time for Jason to dress himself, especially in as simple an outfit as he was given. The embroidered linen went over his left shoulder and loosely fell just below his knees. Tied at his waist was a braided cord the same blue shade as the embellishments. The bronze laurel crown was placed onto his head, but unlike everything else was a bit small. And finally, on his feet, a pair of simple leather sandals were strapped on, as comfortably as everything else.

His friends wore similar outfits, in terms of the era they were emulating. Reyna wore an outfit Jason thought was taken straight from one of the Amazons. A skirt of leather straps that stopped just above her knee. A metal chest piece, similar to the one she typically wore only clearly for show and not combat. Around her waist, tying the two armor pieces together was a girdle of golden fabric, an obvious imitation of Hippolyta’s girdle.

Piper was in a long toga, the color of which was almost imperceptibly pink. Jason couldn't recall a time he had seen her in any dress-like attire and it made him see the family resemblance between Piper and her mother. He would never tell her that to her face, of course, that was a sure-fire way to get hit. The fact that this event Leo had put together had managed to get Piper in something even resembling a gown was at least a little disconcerting to Jason.

Hazel, however, he expected her to wear that kind of outfit, or something similar. Draped over her shoulders was a faded purple toga, a mauve-like color, folded in three layers. Placed on her head was a spiked headpiece, easily comparable to the one worn by Lady Liberty.

Frank was dressed in an identical outfit as Reyna, in the sense that both were heavily focused on emulating armor. Frank looked as if he was a Roman Legionnaire. Well, considering he already was one it was more accurate to say he looked like an ancient Roman Legionnaire. Balanced on his head was a helmet, one with feather-like protrusions coming from the top, evidence that the outfit was only for show.

The group of five were huddled near the wheel of the Argo, all of them catching up with things from the day previous. They somehow managed to avoid spilling any details about the event at Camp Half-blood, a fact that made Jason ever so slightly annoyed. While it was only around three hours to get from the Roman camp to the Greek one on the Argo, it still felt insufferably long. The anticipation that came from being purposefully left in the dark was agonizing. The New York skyline couldn't come quicker.

Luckily they entered said city’s airspace in Piper’s estimated time. The sun had just dropped under the western horizon as the bronze vessel flew over Long Island and continued down the sound. The strawberry fields came into view in the distance, and before Jason could call it out, they reached Camp Half-blood.

As the ship slowly glided over the camp’s facilities, the son of Jupiter watched the figures below, all of them dressed in togas, all in different colors. Hanging between buildings were strings of lanterns. Around the mess hall, hidden in the shadows were large speakers emitting a menagerie of pop music.

The Argo didn't linger in one spot however, meaning Jason was given only a snippet of what was happening. He turned around from his position only to see his friends marching down the stairs that lead below deck.

“Wait a minute!” he shouted, following them down and through the rest of the ship until they all stopped at the entrance and exit of the vessel. A few moments passed and the Argo descended. A few moments after that and the ship ceased moving entirely, the entryway falling open. The four demigods impeded Jason’s exit, only allowing him to escape once they all stepped out of the ship. Jason took no time doing the same once he is able and was greeted by smiles just outside Bunker 9, the brightest coming from right in front of him, from Leo Valdez.

The son of Hephaestus was, just like everyone else he had seen roaming the camp, dressed in a toga, this one, however, was fairly simple. The white fabric, decorated with gold lining, stopped halfway up his thigh and was tied at the waist by a golden cord. Stuck resting on his ear was a lock of blue flowers, six petals on each, and in his hands was a bronze lyre. Leo held it up and strummed the strings, producing a discordant set of notes that caused Jason to snort.

“Jason Grace,” the demigod said, projecting his voice louder than he needed to, “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me this evening to the festival that is taking place in Camp Half-blood?” he stuck one of his hands out, waiting for Jason to place his own in it.

Jason, however, was only just barely connecting the dots and wanted a clearer picture more than he wanted to accept Leo’s offer. “H-hold on a second. A festival? Can you tell me what is going on here? Why didn't I know about this until right now? Why did you have Reyna, Frank, and Hazel keep it from me? Why-”

Leo shushed the son of Jupiter with a finger to his lips. “You guys may want to leave us for a bit,” he explained to the friends not currently speaking. The four of them silently agreed and walked in the direction of the camp. “So,” Leo began elaborating, “to keep it simple, Piper and I noticed that you and I haven't gone on any dates since we’ve been together.”

Jason huffed at the insinuation, “Wh-what are you...yes we have. There was that one time...no...or what about when we...nope...”

Leo sighed, “See? We haven't. Piper thought it was weird and after some thinking, I did too, so I promised her I would have a romantic date planned for the next time you visit. With some help, we came up with an actual date and worked on setting everything up. Piper had told Reyna to keep you busy at Camp Jupiter and was getting help from Frank and Hazel all to tailor this night just for you. Well...that was the original plan. But Chiron got wind of what we were planning quite quickly and had us turn our thing into an actual event at the camp. It’s just as good as before. It just means that now everyone’s trying to have a romantic night out.”

Jason smiled, “Alright, so what’s the date then? Or I guess ‘festival’?”

“Well, you see Jason. It is a part of American culture that every teenager goes to this thing called ‘prom’. It’s a-”

“I know what prom is,” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Oh?” Leo exhaled, feigning shock, “You do? But last I checked, you were stuck in Camp Jupiter during your high school years.”

“Well, yeah. But that doesn't mean I lived in a bubble.”

Leo rolled his eyes just as Jason had, “Whatever the case, I know for a fact that you didn't go to anything prom-like, Hazel and Frank confirmed that much. And neither did I, the wilderness school and all that, which means...” Leo once again strummed the untuned lyre, “This is a pseudo promposal. Will you, Jason Grace, go to prom with me?”

Jason felt himself filled with happiness even just knowing the sentiment. He bowed his head slightly and answered, “Of course, Leonidas Valdez. Of course, I’ll go to prom with you.” The two shared a brief hug. When they parted, Leo clasped Jason’s hand and lead him towards the entrance to Bunker 9.

“I just knew you were going to say yes so I already prepared our transport.” Leo pressed a button on the bronze lyre, one Jason had managed to overlook, and with it, the doors to the bunker began to open. Sitting at the center was a bronze chariot. Strapped to the front of it were four pegasi.

Jason gasped, “You built a chariot for a grand entrance? Any particular reason why?”

Leo lead his partner to the back of the chariot, the two of them stepping up into it while the son of Hephaestus explained, “Well, the theme is ‘A Night in Alexandria’ and the star couple can't arrive in anything but Apollo’s chariot.”

“Why Apollo’s chariot and not a generic one?”

Leo clicked his tongue, “Jason Grace...you have much to learn about symbolism. You see this flower?” He pointed towards the blue lock still atop his ear, “Hyacinth. This lyre? Looks an awful lot like-”

“Oh, I get it!” Jason chuckled. “You dressed us as Apollo and Hyacinthus.” As the realization hit him, he turned to Leo incredulously, “You know Hyacinthus died, right?”

“Look,” Leo dismissed while grabbing the chariot reigns, “Can't you just accept it as the romantic gesture it is and not bring light to the obvious mood killer?” Before Jason could respond, Leo had whipped the reigns and the pegasi began trotting off towards the camp.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You just gotta smile through the pain :,)


	8. A World Alone

Nico wasn't one for dances. The last one he had been to was back when he was 10 and that didn't exactly end very well for anyone attending. He also had a natural aversion to social events, even ones that revolved around him. This spectacle was no different.

While he understood the sentiment, he would have rather skipped it entirely. Unfortunately, not a single inch of the camp was safe from the glitz and glamour. There was the inside of Hades cabin but he had promised Percy that he would at least stay visible for a majority of the night. Nico would have disregarded this plea but after being told of the arrival of his sister and Reyna, he was more than happy to comply.

He didn't, however, agree to wear anything brighter than a black toga, something not even Percy could cause him to divert from. Based purely on how his boyfriend reacted to his stubbornness, Percy had some matching outfit idea, just like every other couple at the camp. Nico found the idea too cliche to willingly participate in, which is why he received not an inkling of what Percy’s own outfit looked like until he saw it in person the day of the event. It was a yellow and grey toga, a fabric design Nico recognized his godly stepmother wearing a couple of times before. He didn't know how or where Percy had gotten the material, but it mattered little over the fact that he had managed to get Nico in a themed outfit. The son of Hades admired the creativity, even if it was a begrudging admiration.

Nico stood outside the Big House with Percy, the pair watching as the Argo descended in the distance. “Should we meet them there?” Nico wondered, unsure what the etiquette was for this particular situation.

Percy shook his head, “Nah, we’ll wait for them here.” Nico put up no resistance, preferring to stay still in most situations. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes before the familiar silhouettes of their friends peeked over the hill, at which point neither Nico nor Percy could stay still any longer. The two walked in their direction, keeping a relatively normal pace up until they were only a few feet away from each other. Nico cared not about his minimal running policy and embraced his sister as if he hadn't seen her in years.

“Do we have to do this every time?” the daughter of Pluto teased, accepting the hug wholeheartedly.

“Of course I do.” The siblings parted, Nico taking a few seconds to admire the outfits of his friends. “You look beautiful, Hazel.”

Piper, standing right next to the two, cleared her throat, “Hello?”

Nico glanced over at her with an unimpressed look, “Eh, I've seen better.”

Piper playfully slapped Nico’s shoulder with the back of her hand, eliciting a laugh from the group.

“Frank!” Percy bellowed, “Looking good man.” The two smacked hands and pulled each other in for a typical masculine hug, the kind that made Nico roll his eyes.

Finally, Nico turned his attention to one of the taller of the group, “Reyna. I’m glad to see you could make it.”

Reyna exhaled, “I am too. I thought Piper was going to kill me for being unable to hide the Argo’s arrival from Jason. As if I can attach a leash to him.”

“Where are those two by the way,” Percy questioned. He received his answer a few seconds later when a bronze chariot made its way past them. It hovered a foot or two off the ground and moved at a pace not much quicker than a horses normal gait.

“‘Sup, Percy!” Leo greeted. He didn’t stop the chariot, making it difficult for the son of Poseidon to respond with anything more than a brief hello.

“Why didn’t you get us a cool thing to ride in on?” Percy asked Nico jokingly.

Nico didn’t react to his boyfriend, instead gesturing towards the camp’s main grounds and asking his own question. “Shouldn’t we be getting ourselves to the actual party?” Everyone agreed and marched on towards the distant music.

~~~~~

Nico wasn’t one for dancing, unlike practically every one of his friends. They all rhythmically writhed in the mess hall, cleared of tables and lit with bright flashing lights. The son of Hades didn’t want to have any part of that, choosing to stand just outside and silently enjoy the atmosphere.

As the song playing ended, Percy came from inside holding two cups of, what Nico assumed was, punch. “You know, the actual dancing is happening in there,” he commented while handing Nico his drink.

“I’m waiting.”

“For?” Percy asked while sipping from his cup.

As if on queue, a small wooden boat descended from above, landing a couple of feet from the entrance to the mess hall. Seated in it were four figures in garb that was clearly not Greek or Roman in origin, but was somehow related. It took Nico no longer than a few seconds to recognize who had just arrived at Camp Half-blood. It was the Kanes and the Suárez’s of course.

The blonde he recognized as Sadie was struggling to exit the small vessel, the reason being her ankle-length dress and winged arms. Carter, in an outfit fit for an Egyptian pharaoh, was maneuvering his sister out of the boat. On the left side of him was Tochtli, dressed in a textile skirt and thick layered chest piece. Metztli, who was wearing a dark leather tunic and skirt, was to Carter’s right, trying her best to control her laughter.

Percy, noticing the struggle jogged over, Nico trailing behind at walking speed. “You guys need any help?” the son of Poseidon queried.  
“Thanks but,” Sadie answered just as both her feet hit the dirt ground, “I think we’re pretty good now.”

Percy chuckled, “Good to see you all again. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Metztli waved her hand, “Where’s the nearest bathroom?”

Percy pointed to the crowded mess hall with his thumb, “In there.”

“Thanks.”

The twin had already begun entering when Sadie shouted out at her, “Wait up!” The Kane had taken a single step forward before stopping and turning to her brother. “Sorry to split so abruptly but you know how it is. Oh yeah! And didn’t you want to tell Percy something anyway, Carter?” The magician smiled and headed after the Suárez who had disappeared into the building.

“I...” Carter stammered, attempting to chastise his sister to no avail. He sighed, turning his attention to Percy.

“So...did you want to tell me something? Or was that just Sadie being Sadie?”

Carter sighed, “N-no, I did want to talk to you about...”

Percy crossed his arms, “What is it?”

The Kane cleared his throat, “I...” He blushed, “I’ve been doing some soul searching recently and have come to the conclusion that...I had feelings for you...but they’re gone now and I think...you’re just not my type anymore?”

Nico, who was drinking from his cup, spurted some of the punch that had been in his mouth. His eyes widened and he began coughing, having choked on the liquid. As the fit slowed, the coughs were replaced by short laughs, Nico trying to get his breath between each one. “Oh my god, Jackson!” he blurted. “This can’t be happening!”

“W-what?” Carter’s gaze went from slightly embarrassed to entirely confused.

A red-faced Percy grimaced, “I can’t believe it. Twice?” He looked up at the sky, “What games are you playing up there?”

“Twice? What-“

Nico, having regained some of his composure, exhorted, “When I first confessed to Percy, I told him he wasn’t my type. I thought it was a nice little remark back then but now it’s even funnier.”

Carter scratched his neck, trying to ignore the inherent awkwardness, “Oh...uh...”

Percy found it much easier to do so, brushing off Nico’s comment with little incident. “Don’t sweat it. You didn't know. Plus, Nico’s right, it is kinda funny.”

The magician was obviously in a rush to remove himself from the uncomfortable situation, evidenced by his hesitant response, “Well...we should probably be leaving you two. Come on Tochtli.” He grabbed said demigod’s hand and started marching towards the mess hall doors, making no eye contact with his friends.

Tochtli was surprised by the order and the contact. “Oh, uh...” he stammered, “alright.”

Percy giggled to himself, “You wanna join ‘em?”

“Nah,” Nico brushed the offer aside. “I’m fine staying out here. You go though. Can't have a party without Camp Half-blood’s most popular.”

The son of Poseidon understood not to push Nico past certain points, something Nico was always glad of. But that didn't mean Percy didn't know that he needed to occasionally be brought out of his comfort zone even for a few moments. As he parted from Nico’s company and was at the base of the steps, he turned around and called out, “Hey.” Nico rotated to meet Percy’s gaze, waiting for him to articulate his thought. “Promise me at least one dance before the night’s over?” Percy asked.

Nico smiled, “Find a song I like and I’ll be swinging across the dance floor.” He meant it almost as a challenge and he knew Percy would take it as one. He also knew that even if he didn't find a song Nico liked, the two would still have their one dance. Without further words, only a nod, Percy entered the mess hall, leaving Nico to himself once again, no longer waiting for anyone, just enjoying the ambiance.

~~~~~

The night was nearing an end and Nico had yet to hear a single song worth his time. Not that modern pop music didn't have its occasional good moment, it just so happened that Nico was particular in his taste of modern music. They also didn't give him any reason to stay within earshot of the primary location of the dance. Luckily he had managed to keep himself away and busy by sneaking up on unsuspecting couples hoping to get a moment of privacy behind the cabins. Part of him hoped he would encounter some of his friends merely to tease them for the rest of time. And that moment did come, though only once. Reyna and Piper had tried to slip out of the mess hall unnoticed, but they forgot about Nico and were unaware of how he was staying entertained. They found an empty space behind one of the cabins and were in the middle of a tender moment when Nico emerged from the shadows, ruining the mood. He and Reyna had a good laugh while Piper chastised him about invading people’s privacy. It was a lecture he promised to take to heart for the rest of the night. Satisfied, Piper dragged Reyna back into the mess hall, mumbling something unintelligible.

Now, with a promise he had to keep, Nico posted himself back at the entrance of the mess hall, hoping that either the dance would end soon or that something interesting happened. He got the latter, with Percy standing in the doorway. He cleared his throat to get Nico’s attention and just as Nico turned his head the strumming of a ukulele played from inside. An unfamiliar voice of a man began vocalizing while Percy outstretched a hand and asked, “May I have this dance?”

Nico furrowed his brow, entirely confused by why Percy thought this was a good enough song to get him to dance. That was until he heard the first line, “Somewhere over the rainbow, Way up high...”

The son of Hades hadn't heard those words in years, let alone from this man and in such a beautiful voice. His eyes lit up, as his subconscious took control of him. He placed his hand in Percy’s and let the son of Poseidon lead him into the crowded building. He looked around, pairs of people gathered near the room’s center embracing each other and swaying in sync with the music. He saw Jason and Leo near the center of the crowd whispering to one another as they moved. He saw Hazel and Frank off to one side, the former resting her head on his armored chest. Nico couldn't resist smiling at the sight, knowing that his sister was content. He saw Tochtli dragging Carter towards the dance floor while Metztli and Sadie egged them on. He saw Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth swaying together as they watched the same spectacle.

Once Percy had found a good enough spot, he stopped and turned to Nico. He grabbed just above his hips while Nico gripped his shoulders. “Is this good enough to swing to?” he teased, eliciting a laugh.

“I don't know. Let me get back to you.” Nico stared into Percy’s faded green eyes, losing himself in the song’s lyrics. This version was very different to the one he was familiar with, the most glaring being that it was not Judy Garland singing. Somehow, even that wasn't enough to separate the emotional connection he had with the song. It was the first one he remembered hearing when he came to America. In a boarding school hallway in Washington DC, he heard it. Somehow, even though he could barely make out the words, he felt a connection to it that went much deeper than most songs did. Maybe it was sentiment expressed by Garland, that her character would one day be able to be free.

That her dreams and aspirations would be fulfilled, if only she could pass over the rainbow.

That moment, even if it’s details faded with time, stuck with him during his stay at the Lotus Casino and Westover Hall. That song stayed with him when he ran from Camp Half-blood, when he found Hazel, when he nearly died in Tartarus, even though it had been years since he last heard it. Now, hearing it again, even if it was different, still roused the same feelings it had before.

While the original felt hopeful, this one was that and much more. The singer understood the intentions of the song’s writers, but what they weren't able to capture, he did with his voice. At times it was just as filled with hope as Judy Garland, but that hopefulness could quickly turn to anguish. This version was much more relatable in Nico’s eyes. Hearing a version of a song that had moved him so often in the past that was more heart-wrenching was almost too much.

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy’s neck and pulled themselves closer. He rested his head in his boyfriend’s shoulder as he felt the emotions building up. He closed his eyes, letting a small tear leave his body. “I love you,” he whispered in Percy’s ear as the song was reaching its end.

“I love you too.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that’s it for now...
> 
> I do have more planned for this series but god, is it an undertaking I’m unprepared for at the moment. So expect something else sometime in the future if you’re interested.


End file.
